


The Avatar in the White Mask

by Tigerclaw191



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 27,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28687005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tigerclaw191/pseuds/Tigerclaw191
Summary: Natsu is the Avatar, Master of all four elements. Everyone adores him, well almost everyone… Asami Sato is certainly not part of this majority.
Relationships: Asami Sato/Original Character(s), Lin Beifong & Asami Sato
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Natsu had lived in Republic City for over two years. After the death of Aang, the previous Avatar, it was Natsu who was chosen by Raava to master the four elements after Aang. The White Lotus had trained him for the first 20 years of his life and he decided to come to the capital in hopes of learning Airbending from Master Tenzin, Youngest son of the previous Avatar Aang, after he mastered the other three elements. As well as Metalbending from Lin Beifong the eldest daughter of the famous Toph Beifong. Very few people knew that Tenzin was the son of the Avatar when he was Aang. Since Avatar Kyoshi all his predecessors decided to wear a White Mask so as not to be recognized and to not endanger their families and respective friends. Only a few people like Toph Beifong, were known to work with the Avatar and lived with their faces covered.

However, very few people dared to attack Toph because of her affiliation with the Avatar, indeed she was just as formidable as him and had fewer qualms. Tenzin was sometimes asked if he had any connection with the old Avatar, as everyone knew he was an Airbender and that very few Airbenders remained after the attack of the Fire Nation. However survivors had finally been found and Tenzin, to his disgust, claimed that he was a simple descendant of them. He was proud to be Aang’s son, but being the father of three children, and a fourth to come, he too did now want to endanger them just like his wife.

So when Natsu, a young man from the Fire Nation, claiming not to know how to master any element and being old enough to be the new Avatar, came to live with him, nobody cared. Natsu worked during the day in the restaurant that Pema, Tenzin’s wife ran, and in the evening he worked with the Airbender or with Lin who agreed to teach him Metalbending.

It took him less than a year before he made his first public appearance, tackling his Fire Nation outfit and the famous Avatar White Mask. He was easily faked, but when the people of Republic City saw him arrest an illegal Bending Triad group with his controlled Bending over Water, Fire and Earth there were no doubts about his identity.

A new Avatar was present in Republic City.

Like his predecessors, he was greeted as a hero and the press quickly took hold of his image. The media adored him, products with his image were created and many fans were loyal to him. Almost the whole city had fallen under the spell of this new Avatar.

But if there was anyone who remained insensitive to the Avatar it was Asami Sato. More than insensitive she was even distressed to see the inhabitants of her city praising the exploits of the Avatar. Impartially she understood that someone with the abilities of the Avatar, whom she refused to acknowledge and recognize as a hero, it was easy to help people, however she did not understand all the myths that existed around him. As if the police, including their leader, Lin Beifong, were unable to do anything without him. For many years, Republic City had lived without the Avatar…

Besides, where was the Avatar 7 years ago when Firebenders attacked her house and killed her mother? The Avatar seemed to be around her age, i.e. 24 years old, he would have been 17 and therefore quite able to face the three thugs, she that the old avatar had faced the previous Fire Lord around the age of 14. If Asami found the new Avatar insufferable, she praised the existence of his predecessors who had founded Republic City and ended the 100 year war against the Fire Nation. The Avatar of the Air Nomads looked totally different from the new Avatar who engaged in all battles without thinking too much, just making a difference with his bending and not his wit and diplomacy. This arrogance was one of the main reasons for her dislike of the Avatar of the Fire Nation.

Asami remained unmoved during the first year following the presence of the Avatar, unfortunately a coincidence saw her cross paths with the Avatar on one fine evening when she returned home, following a meeting with her, then boyfriend, Mako. She was on a motorbike and she did not see the patch of ice the Avatar had made appear moments before she lost control of her motorbike and she felt herself being thrown violently from her vehicle. She expected the shock on the asphalt but it was two arms that caught up with her and put her gently on the ground. Her first instinct was to thank her saviour but when she saw the white mask of the Avatar she changed her mind.

“Are you alright?” The Avatar asked, voice slightly altered from the mask.

Asami quickly pulled away from the man’s muscular arms.

“Are you hurt?” The Avatar asked again with more concern in his voice.

Without answering him, the heiress of the Sato family took off her helmet with trembling hands. Despite the fact that her fall had not hurt her she felt slightly shocked and her helmet oppressed her. Almost as much as the attention of the Avatar.

Facing her, Natsu was taken aback when he saw the face of the biker, her black hair cascading over her shoulders, a stunning upset face with white skin that looked so soft and two beautiful green eyes met hidden behind his mask.

“I’m fine.” She replied angrily.

Natsu let himself be carried away by the voice of the beautiful woman standing in front of him before hearing its aggressive tone. He frowned in surprise but Asami spoke again.

“What were you doing anyway?” She asked, her tone still scathing.

Suddenly Natsu remembered that he was chasing three men who had just robbed the local grocer.

“I have to go!” He exclaimed, and without waiting she leapt into the air.

Asami sighed as she watched him leave and then approached her motorcycle. She had seen that she had a few scratches but nothing major. Gradually feeling the shock dissipate, she gave way to anger. Why had the Avatar come to her aid? She had fallen on a motorcycle much more impressive than this one! She wasn’t a damsel in distress… She didn’t need any, especially not from the Avatar. She knew how to fend for herself as she had done for years, without her mother, without her father who spent his time working. She was very much alone. Almost alone, there was Mako after all. She saw him from time to time. Not sure enough, because both were immersed in their work, but she was still her boyfriend.

Still boiling with anger, Asami got on her motorbike and headed for her family’s mansion, cursing the Avatar’s existence all the way. However, the next day she couldn’t help but buy the newspaper to see if they talked about the Avatar and unsurprisingly she found an article recounting their hero’s previous day feat. He had arrested three low-level thieves and on top of that he had mastered Metalbending for the first time in public. The feat. An incredibly long article questioned the identity of the master that the Avatar might have had. Was it Lin Beifong who, like her mother, was close to the previous Avatar? Was she one of the many agents who were under his command? Or had he learned it in another city like Zaofu? Asami, quickly annoyed by the article, didn't even finish it and threw the newspaper in the trash unceremoniously.

The second time she was in the presence of the Avatar again was over a year after that night at an official event when she attended at her fathers’ request. President Raiko had invited them for the city’s anniversary. Asami had put on her best dress wanting to attract attention. She knew it was childish and surely a consequence of her recent breakup with Mako, but when she pulled on her dress it was too late to think of another. As expected, many people were interested but she politely declined them.

After yet another dismissal, frankly he was her father’s age, Asami thought that her evening could not be worse but it was without counting on President Raiko who approached her in the company of the Avatar.

“Miss Sato,” the President greeted with his political smile. “I am pleased to officially introduce our hero, The Avatar, he…”

“Oh we’ve met before.” The Avatar cut him off.

Asami turned in surprise with the hero in the white mask. He had the same voice as she remembered. However, she was more astonished to hear that the Avatar remembered their brief meeting several months ago, than to realize that his voice still haunted her dreams. She had never told anyone that she had met the Avatar that night, so no press could relay the information. She didn’t think that the man understood who she was. Or he remembered her face.

“Really?” Raiko replied, also surprised at the information.

“I saved her from a motorcycle accident.” He explained calmly.

The surprise gave way to anger for Asami. So did the Avatar remember a young woman to be saved?

Big mistake.

“Fantastic…” the President began before suddenly being cut off by Asami.

“I was not in danger!” She exclaimed, trying to contain her fury. “I was wearing a helmet that was designed for just that kind of fall.”

Her blood was boiling in her body looking at the Avatar’s white mask and for once she wanted to take it off to look him in the eye to tell him what she thought of him.

“Well, I guess we’ll never know,” the President announced diplomatically.

“I guess not.” Asami muttered without taking her eyes off the Avatar.

“In any case, I’m happy to see that you are doing well, Miss Sato.” The Avatar answered her, his voice still calm.

Asami clenched her jaw without answering. Raiko sensed the tension between the two of them and decided that it was time for him to introduce the Avatar to other people.

“Goodbye, Miss Sato, it was a pleasure to see you again.” The Avatar greeted her before leaving, not waiting for a response from the young woman.

Natsu didn’t quite understand why the heiress was so aggressive towards him. He had told himself that when they first met, Asami was in shock from her accident hence her attitude. Natsu remembered in great detail the first time he had laid eyes on Asami, never had he seen a woman as beautiful as she was. He had been taken aback moments before the cold voice of the woman brought him back to reality.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to stay too long by her side because he had thieves to catch up with. The beautiful face of the young woman had remained for some time on his mind until one day he saw it at random in one of the pages of the local newspapers. So it was by surprise that he learned that the woman with green eyes and black hair was in fact the daughter of Hiroshi Sato, the famous inventor and billionaire. Natsu had innocently questioned Opal, his friend, the daughter of Lin’s sister and who also served at Pema’s restaurant, about who Asami Sato was. This is how he learned that she was the sole heir to the Sato family, that she had lost her mother years before due to Firebenders, that she was as much a genius as her father and very invested in the city. He also learned that she knew Bolin, Opal’s newest and very recent boyfriend, and she was dating his older brother Mako.

After this second encounter with Asami, where he had been struck again by the beauty of the woman in her red dress, she briefly wondered if Asami’s dislike towards him was due to the fact that he was the Avatar. He knew that a growing group of outcasts following a man named Amon and opposing those who master the elements was growing in the city. Since then, ideas of hatred began to spread. However, he quickly pushed the idea out of his mind, Asami was dating Mako, was a powerful Firebender and Asami was known to follow the Tournament of Master closely. So, Natsu wondered, why the beautiful heiress seemed to resent him? Was it because he had saved her first? It looked like she hadn’t quite accepted Natsu’s help that day judging by her reaction.

It bothered Natsu a bit to know that Asami didn’t like him, but he wasn’t quite sure why. He knew he couldn’t please everyone, but the woman’s anger towards him seemed unfair to him. That evening, as he left town hall, he vowed to try and make Asami Sato like him, or at least not make her hate him as much. It might have been a childish thought, but it was surprisingly resilient in his mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Unfortunately not everything turned out as planned, for if Asami didn’t love him before, she certainly wasn’t going to love him now that she was heading with a very heavy accusation on her father. So two months later she landed on the balcony near a window where he could see Asami leaning over her desk, a ball in his stomach. He took a deep breath then, arming himself with courage, he knocked on the window. Asami looked up at him surprised but soon surprise was quickly replaced by irritation. The heiress got up and came to open the glass door but made no move to invite him inside, Natsu didn’t ask permission anyway, suspecting that the rest of the conversation was going to be heated.

“Avatar.” She greeted him with her usual coldness. “To what do I owe this honor?” She continued sarcastically.

Natsu bit his lip, which was invisible to Asami thanks to his mask, but the woman didn’t miss the Avatar’s hands twisting nervously. Despite his anxiety Natsu preferred to say what he had come for as quickly as possible.

“I came because I think your father is financing or even providing weapons to Amon and to the movements of…”

“What?” Asami exclaimed in disgust.

“We have testimonies that…”

“We? Who are we? And who are there witnesses?” Asked the heiress forcefully.

“I work with the Republic City Police Force and I can’t tell you where our sources are from, it’s confidential.”

“I don’t care! My dad isn’t one of those crazy people!”

Natsu sighed softly, he knew full well that he was going to find himself facing an Asami in denial but he did not give up.

“I know it’s hard to believe but your father had a motive for hating people who master the…”

“Don’t you dare mix my mom in this.” She growled. The rage in her voice almost made Natsu back down, but he held on.

“I’m sorry for your loss but it’s the truth. Don’t you find that lately your father has been more and more absent? He’s not even here tonight.” Argued the Avatar

He had a point, but Asami refused to take that as proof.

“He works.” Asami pointed out.

“On what?”

Asami opened her mouth to respond but stopped herself when she realized that indeed she had no idea of her father’s latest project.

“I’ll tell you, he works on weapons like the shock gloves that Amon’s disciples have.” Natsu added to the stunned look of the woman.

“You’re lying.” Asami retorted, but unfortunately she couldn’t say anything more.

“Listen, the reason I came to tell you this is because I think you're not like him. You want peace in Republic City, not the anarchy Amon is proposing.

Asami gritted her teeth, she had heard enough. How could the Avatar accuse her father like this with no proof at all? How could she believe that he knew her and knew where her allegiances were? The Avatar excluded arrogance in his actions and it was unbearable.

“Get out” She told him calmly but the threat in her voice was noticeable.

Natsu sighed again but he knew he couldn’t get anything more from the woman.

“Think about it.” He said before taking flying off using his glider.

The heiress shut the glass door so violently that she thought she was going to break it. She returned to her desk but her desire for work had evaporated with the Avatar, she couldn’t help but replay the whole conversation. How could she believe that her father was making a deal with Amon? Her father loved Benders! He hadn;t hired any of them but it was because he wanted to give Nonbenders a chance… And he had accepted her sponsorship of Mako’s team. Well, he said she could do whatever she wanted with her money but it was almost the same. When her mother was alive they often went to see games together. And he hardly came, it was because he worked a lot. It was true he hadn’t liked Mako too much, but it was just because he was an overprotective father, it sure had nothing to with him being a Firebender!

Growling in anger, Asami walked over to her father’s office but it was totally empty. Come to think of it, he hadn’t worked here for a while, but it was because he was staying in his office in the factory. She wondered if she should go see him to tell him about the Avatar’s accusations. Charges she couldn’t believe. It was surely competitors who took advantage of the opportunity. She cursed the Avatar for worrying her and decided to go for a swim in her pool and then go to bed. However, sleep did not come easily to her and very early the next morning she left for the factory to find her father. As expected he was at his desk working.

“Asami, my dear? I wasn’t expecting you so soon.” He exclaimed with a smile, he stood up hurriedly to greet her.

Despite herself, Asami glanced at her father’s work but couldn’t see any patterns on his notes, she scolded herself the next second feeling her father’s arms around her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t come home last night but don’t worry I slept and ate.” He said to her, pointing to the extra bed he had in his office.

His daughter smiled at him and she wanted to ask him what he was working on but she changed her mind at the last minute, preferring to talk to him frankly. She explained to her father that she had a visit from the Avatar last night.

“What did he want?” He asked.

“Apparently, he thinks you’re helping Amon.”

Her father’s eyes widened and Asami tried to detect a hint of worry or fear but her father put on an impartial face, then the next second he laughed.

“It’s not funny daddy.” She added. “He said the police were investigating you.”

“Don’t worry sweetheart. They won’t find anything. You know I’m not helping that madman, Amon,” he replied putting his hands on her shoulders.

Asami nodded in relief. Of course her father was not a crazed extremist.

“I know.”

“Come on, go back to work.” He told her, still smiling.

However, the Avatar did not lie when he said that her father was the result of an investigation because a few hours later the police, accompanied by the Avatar, came to the factory with a warrant. Asami stared in dismay at the Avatar but she couldn’t meet his gaze because of the white mask he was wearing. A thin, tinted glass hid his eyes. Lin Beifong as well as Mako were present and Asami was happy to follow them to every room they visited to prove the Avatar wrong. She was silent the entire time and it seemed the Avatar didn’t want to strike up a conversation with her either.

Very well.

However, a doubt settled when they arrived in her fathers office. She vividly remembered having caught her father that very morning working on a file with a red folder, yet this file was void to be in sight and her father claimed that all of his work was in the room. It might have been a mere coincidence, but her doubt returned half an hour later when Mako apologized on behalf of the Avatar and the police force for the inconvenience.

“I’m sure it’s nothing and once we have visited the seven warehouses of Future Industries and found nothing you father will be out of danger.”

Asami nodded silently. She felt relieved that Mako didn’t believe her father was guilty but the red file stuck in her mind as did the seven warehouses… She had helped with his business tax return last month and she was certain that Future Industries had nine buildings and the seven warehouses where the Satomobiles were located and an eight recently purchased. Why hadn’t her father given them his address? Perhaps it was a simple oversight, after all it was sure empty because she had never heard anything about any merchandise already shipped there. She decided to shut up, wanting to see with her own eyes.

Later that evening, she picked up her motorbike and headed for the new warehouse. She had never visited it before and was surprised to find it extremely small. Why would her father buy such a building? There was enough room to fit a maximum of six Satomobiles. Something was wrong. She didn’t like it, she had felt a lump in her stomach since the police came this morning. She visited the warehouse and every second she felt more and reassured, it was empty and as she had suspected it was just unoccupied for the moment.

Unfortunately, her relief was short lived when she saw a cigarette on the ground. She leaned in to take a closer look at it when she saw a scuff mark. She looked up and saw an empty iron shelf, she pushed the self aside and saw that the tracks matched the legs of that shelf. Heart pounding, she let her fingers slide on the floor when she felt a hole, she hooked her fingers and she lifted a hatch in horror.

Before her eyes was a staircase leading to the basement. Without thinking for another second she walked down the stairs, leaving the hatch open. She walked for a few minutes when she heard voices. She slowed down then at the bend of a corridor her heart stopped.

In front of her was the flag representing Amon.

Had the Avatar been right? Was her father part of the movement to take away Bending from all masters?

As if that wasn’t enough, she heard her father speak.

“How is it not finished yet? Amon needs it by next week! He needs to take action during the Pro-Bending Championships (Tournament of Masters).”

This time her heart broke. Her father looked her straight in the eye and lied to her. He was playing her right from the beginning.

“I’m sorry Mr Sato, but we all heard about the police this morning and we thought…”

“I told you, there was nothing to fear from the police.” Hiroshi replied angrily.

Asami felt her eyes fill with tears and her throat tighten, never had she heard her father speak so nastily to any of his employees.

“But the Avatar was there.”

“The Avatar is nothing, he won’t be a problem after Amon takes care of him. Just like he will take care of all his so-called masters. Now get back to work.” He ordered, even more vigorously.

“Yes sir.”

Still stunned because of what she had just heard, Asmi couldn’t move. She no longer recognized her own father, in fact she was almost tempted to take a look to see if it was indeed him. There was so much hatred in his words that it hurt. She could no longer doubt now, her father was doing business with Amon. He seemed to feel the same anger towards the masters as Amon does. She felt ashamed that she hadn’t realized it before. The Avatar was right, it was surely a consequence of her mother’s death. It could only be that.

The Avatar.

Her father had said Amon was going to go on the offensive next week. What did that mean? What should she do?

First of all, she had to leave the secret underground operation before she gets discovered by her father. She had to think away from the noises of welding that indicated they were building a weapon for Amon. Asami managed to sneak out and flee on her motorbike. She left the city to reach the heights. She took off her helmet before dropping to the ground to cry. She hit the ground with her fists in rage.

How could her father do this to her? How could he have been lying? How could he break her trust like this? How could he betray this city?

A group of Firebenders don’t represent all of the Benders.

How could she have missed it? How could she have missed the fact that her father was sinking into such a dark side?

She spent the next few minutes crying, trying to vent her anger before making a drastic decision. She had to tell someone what Amon and her father were up to. She couldn’t in good conscience allow such a thing to happen. She was not going to let one part of the population terrorize another. Her mother would never have agreed and neither would she. Taking away a master’s bending seemed like a barbaric act, like taking away a part of that person. She couldn’t accept it.

What if her father was going to get arrested?

What he was doing was wrong, he was no longer the man who had raised her. He was not the man her mother fell in love with. He looked like a man filled with rage and someone who harbored deep revenge. He had to be aware of his actions. She thought of the Avatar, but didn’t know how to contact him. Besides, she didn’t want to see the man, she was too proud to tell him that he was right. So she decided to go see the person she had the most respect for: Chief Beifong.

Asami arrived at the police station less than an hour later and she wasn’t surprised to learn that the boss was still in her office. It was a known fact that Toph’s daughter was equally, if not more, a workaholic.

“Miss Sato.” The Chief of Police greeted her as she came to her office.

Strangely, Asami was relieved that Mako was not present.

“Chief Beifong.” She answered solemnly.

Asami could feel the gaze of the other woman. She suspected she must have looked horrible after crying, her eyes must be red and her makeup a disaster. Lin made no comment, however.

“What can I do for you at such a late hour?” She asked.

The heiress sighed, it was time.

“I have proof that my father is helping Amon.” She blurted out.

The police chief looked at her in disbelief, Asami would have laughed, suspecting it was a rare event in a lifetime, but she had other ideas in mind.

“I am listening to you.”

“There is an eight warehouse that belongs to Future Industries, I had just been there and there will be all the evidence you want. My father was there earlier.” She sighed, looking at the ground.

Suddenly she felt a firm hand rest on her shoulder.

“Asami.”

The heiress had never heard of Lin Beifong sound so sweet before.

“Do you realize what you are saying to me? She continued. What does that mean to your father?”

Asami’s expression suddenly darkened and Lin withdrew her hand as if it had been burned.

“He made his choice, I’m making mine.” She explained.

Lin nodded, slightly impressed.

“You made the right decision.” She told her encouragingly.

“I hope so.” Asami whispered mostly to herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Natsu was at the restaurant working when Tenzin called to tell him that Lin wanted to talk to him. He walked suspiciously to the back of the restaurant where there was a phone.

“We know where to find Hiroshi Sato and his inventions.” Lin told him.

“Really?” He exclaimed in surprise, thinking that everything had been seen that very morning. “How? ‘Or’ What?”

“Asami Sato.” The police chief replied in a deep voice.

“Oh.”

Natsu didn’t quite know what to say to this information, so he just wrote down the address of the meeting place and then left without delay. Pema and Tenzin knew his duty as the Avatar was more important than his service and let him go without question. Dressed in his costume and mask, he found Lin and some policemen such as Mako, Bolin’s brother, at the place indicated. Lin led them to the secret entrance Asami had told her about. They arrived by surprise and despite a response from the employees, the arrests were quickly made.

However, there was no trace of Hiroshi.

The Avatar stayed with Lin, Mako and three other policemen to try and find him when they were attacked by a robot that was more than three times their size. The robot was well designed because it was made with materials that made any mastery of Metalbending useless. Quickly two agents were thrown to the ground, followed by Mako and the last policeman. Only Lin and Natsu were left to face the giant that was controlled by Hiroshi. Natsu flew off to give him a jet of Fire but he too was thrown against a wall violently. Lin was preparing to attack when a scream interrupted everyone.

“Dad!”

Everyone turned to Asami who was standing in the warehouse. She looked out of breath and her eyes reflected the fear she felt at being here facing her father.

“I told you to stay at the station,” the police chief grumbled as she saw the heiress walk forward.

Asami didn’t seem to hear it, her eyes locked on her father in the robot.

“What are you doing?” She asked him.

A noise came from the robot, its head parted to reveal the body of the leader of Future Industries.

“My darling, what are you doing here?” He asked gently.

“No! What are you doing?”

Hiroshi’s face closed.

“I’m doing what we should have done years ago,” he explained before pointing to Lin Beifong. “These people, these Benders, think they are better than us because nature has given them gifts. They do not deserve these so-called masteries. They use it to do evil, to kill. They killed your mother, Asami.” He continued ardently.

“And that explains all these acts of violence? How many people died because of Amon too? How many mothers?”

Her father shook his head.

“It is not the same!”

Asami sighed, her father was lost in his rage and he no longer distinguished between good and bad anymore. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Avatar discreetly stand up. He was going to attack her father, she knew it and she had to let him. That was right.

“Daddy.” She begged him. “There must be another solution.”

“No my dear, the solution Amon offers is the only one worth pursuing.”

Hiroshi took a step toward her as the Avatar took his place.

“Come with me. We can avenge you mother. Together, like family.”

Asami’s eyes lit up, they were empty words. She shook her head gently, joining her father wasn’t even an option.

“I can’t.” She whispered, yet her voice echoed through the warehouse.

Her father frowned as he looked at her with disdain.

“In that case, if you’re not with me, you’re against me. You’re no longer my daughter.”

Asami’s eyes widened when she saw her father raise his arm to aim his gun at her and then it all happened very quickly. Lin threw herself at her to protect her from the electric shot that Hiroshi was sending and the Avatar struck at the same time. Asami lands violently on the ground in the arms of the Chief of Police.

“Are you okay?” The older woman asked.

But the heiress was too shocked to answer. Her father had just shot at her. Her father had just denied her. She heard Hiroshi faintly growl in rage followed by a thud. Lin helped her up while she was still in a daze.

“Asami?”

Coming to her senses, Asami met the other woman’s gaze then nodded. Lin turned away from her but stayed by her side, the heiress heard her give orders and suddenly she wanted to go as far as possible. She no longer wanted to be in the warehouse with the Avatar, her father and all of his machines. She didn’t even want to know if her father was still alive or if he had died serving the cause he believed was right. She could feel her throat tighten and her eyes began to sting.

“I’ll take you home.”

Asami nodded at the police chief before following her without a word. They got out of the warehouse quickly and mechanically Asami walked over to her motorbike but Lin gently took her arm.

“I’ll send someone to collect it and bring it back to you.”

The heiress didn’t argue, in fact she wasn’t even sure she would have been able to get home safely as her mind seemed so extinct. Lin drove her in one of the police vehicles and Asami realized that another was following them.

“Some of my men will stay outside your house for the night, maybe a little longer.” Lin explained.

Asami understood why; because as soon as the inhabitants of the city find out that her father was involved with Amon some people are going to retaliate. Some would surely think that she too was one of these mad fanatics.

Asami sighed, dark days were ahead for her.

The drive back to the mansion seemed like an eternity and a second at the same time. Lin accompanied her silently to her living room. She made her sit on the sofa.

“Is there anyone you would like me to contact?” Lin asked.

Asami wondered ‘someone’. She had no one now. Her mother was dead. Her father was a traitor. Mako was still just an acquaintance now. She had no close friends. She did have a few cousins in the Fire Nation but it had been years since she last saw them.

Maybe she had Lee, her butler. But what if he was one of Amon’s supporters too? Suddenly she wondered who she could trust now.

“No.” She whispered.

Lin’s face tightened imperceptibly.

“I can call Mako…”

Asami shook her head gently.

“I’d prefer to be alone.”

The heiress didn’t even know if she believed his words, but she was going to have to face this situation on her own anyway. Might as well be resolved in advance.

“What you did tonight, was beyond brave.”

Asami looked up at Lin for the first time since they had been in her living room. She saw the other woman stand up straight and proud as always, but she could see compassion in her gaze.

“Anyone would be proud to have you as a daughter,” she finished.

The tears that Asami had been holding back from the late evening threatened to flow. She understood what Lin meant. Since when did she feel so connected to the other woman? The older woman made her understand that her father was not in his normal state when he had turned against her, that someone healthy would have accepted him. Someone healthy wanted her as their daughter. Someone like Lin? She wondered briefly if the other woman had ever wanted children despite being married to her job. Did she have any remorse about her life choices?

Asami saw Lin take a slight step towards her but she was faster, Asami got up from her couch and wrapped her arms around the chief of police. She felt her stiffen for a moment, then the arms covered in the metal armor closed around her in turn. The embrace was awkward, between the two women who don’t often let their emotions go out, but it was exactly what Asami needed.

“Thank you.” She whispered.

Lin didn’t answer with words, she just hugged the young woman a little tighter. Asami closed her eyes for a few moments before pulling away from Lin’s arms. She knew that if she really let her go, she would cry for hours and she didn’t want to hold the other woman any longer.

“If you need anything call me.” Lin told her.

“Okay.”

Both women knew that the heiress’s response was more or less a lie and that she was not going to call her. However, Lin gave her a final nod before leaving the mansion. Eyes shining Asami walked to her bedroom then collapsed in her bed crying. She knew that when she got up the next day she was going to have to face the consequences of Hiroshi Sato’s actions, but for the moment she was mourning the actions and words her father had against her.

The arrest of the CEO of Future Industries and a large number of his employees marked the beginning of the decline of the Equalist movement. He succeeded in setting a trap for the Avatar, but he was ready and despite resistance from him, Amon was unmasked as a master, he was able to master Bloodbending and this was how he removed Bending from people...His own disciples feeling betrayed, abandoned him and he was captured by the Avatar and Chief Beifong.

The Avatar decided to go see Asami, he wasn’t sure it was the best idea he ever had but he couldn’t help but wonder how the young woman was doing. He had more or less followed the evolution of the life of the heiress which had been very publicized, he knew for example that she had taken over the company of her father and that she had not gone to any of the audiences of that here in front of the judge. However, he wanted to know was how she was really doing.

After making his decision, he visited Asami about a month after Amon’s arrest. Just like the first time he had gone to see her, he landed more or less gracefully on her balcony. Through the glass he saw Asami leaning over the same desk as the previous time and when she had looked up at him, Natsu could see that she looked a lot more tired than last time. Despite this, the same expression landed on Asami’s face upon seeing him.

Natsu swallowed hard as he braced himself for Asami’s now almost inevitable anger.

“What else do you want?” She asked, opening her glass door.

“I … I … uh …”

The hero suddenly felt shy. In front of him Asami raised an eyebrow to show her irritation. Natsu suddenly remembered that the woman hadn’t appreciated the fact that he told the President that he had saved her, so he decided at the last moment to change his tactics.

“I … came to thank you for handing over your father to us.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Natsu knew he had made a mistake. Unsurprisingly, Asami’s face closed even more.

“Did you come to thank me for putting my father in jail?” She growled. “What a delicate attention.”

“No!” The Avatar exclaimed. “Yes finally…”

Asami clenched her jaw. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since the Avatar cale to her to tell her that her father was plotting with Amon for over a month. Everyday was a battle, whether against the press, against public opinion, against its shareholders and its business partners. She didn’t have time to see the Avatar come and remind her that her father was a traitor and that he had known it from the start. It was as if he was coming to taunt her and she had other things to do.

“I don’t have time for this.” SHe sighed, running her hand over her forehead.

Natsu was struck again by the tiredness of the woman. He wanted to approach her but Asami’s gaze dissuaded her.

“I just wanted to know how you were doing.” He finally confessed quickly.

Rolling her eyes, Asami answered him.

“I’m over the moon …” She said sarcastically. “All is well in the best of all possible worlds and I certainly have time to speak with the Avatar.”

Understanding the woman’s implied message, Natsu took a step back.

“I… uh… I guess I’ll go then,” she replied.

“Finally a good idea.” Asami muttered before turning without a look.

The hero sighed but decided to leave anyway. Any conversation with Asami always seemed to end like this. Why had he thought it would be any different this time? And why was he always allowed to be impressed by Asami? He had defeated Amon and yet as soon as the young women spoke to him with animosity he lost all his means and his courage.

Natsu slumped down on his bed without stopping to think about Asami. The heiress seemed to be on his mind since their meeting months earlier and he couldn’t understand why. Asami was gorgeous, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met and he was pretty sure it would be the most beautiful woman he would ever meet but that was no reason. He was no longer a teenager who let himself be guided by his hormones, he was 24 years old!

So why couldn’t he get Asami out of his head? Why did he want the woman to love him at all costs? Or at least that she is not aggressive towards him? He had asked himself this question after their second meeting and concluded that it was because he felt there was so much more to the woman other than the facade she was dismissing.

The latest events had proved him right.

Asami hadn’t hesitated to report her own father to the authorities because he was a terrorist. She had never denied her father’s actions and had since assumed the consequences with dignity. Natsu knew this well since he read all the newspapers that spoke about her. He remembered even asking Lin, how Asami had been after she brought her back on the day of her fathers arrest.

Lin only replied that she was a strong woman and that she would get over it. Natsu remembered vividly, so he wondered what Asami meant to her. He had remembered the death of Asami’s mother a few years earlier. Had Lin been involved in the investigation in any way? He had the feeling that Lin cared for Asami in some way.

Suddenly Natsu realized what he had just done. He had read all the papers that talked about Asami, he had almost knocked Lin out with questions about Asami, he had almost gone back to the police station to read all about the investigation of Asami’s mother’s death, he had gone to see her in her mansion with her permission twice and apparently he was wondering if he could do it again…

It was as if he was stalking her!

He harassed Asami, like Kyle and Sara in the book Pema and gave him to occupy himself when bored. He turned red in shame. Asami had made it clear to him that she didn’t want to deal with him. He had to respect her will even if it was against his.

Natsu therefore decided that he would not go to see Asami again even if deep down it bothered him. In time he might stop thinking about the women with the luscious green eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Natsu did as he decided and he didn’t go back to see Asami while doing his best not to pounce on the newspaper articles that concerned him.

However, fate seemed to have other ideas.

Indeed several weeks later Natsu was bringing crates containing fruit into Pema’s restaurant, humming briefly. He lifted the last crate and turned when he bumped into someone, causing the yellow cherries that were in the crate he was holding to fly out. The shock was not violent but it was enough to throw Natsu off balance, who felt himself lose balance and fall. Being the Avatar he had very quick reflexes, he had time to catch himself using his Airbending but at that moment he was Natsu who only had waterbending and is NOT the Avatar. So Natsu decided to drop to the floor and land on his backside and while it wasn’t a very serious fall, it was a bit painful.

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

Natsu looked up quickly when he heard the voice of the person he collided with. Before his eyes stood Asami Sato with a worried look. The young man on the ground opened his mouth but no words came out. Asami walked over to him and she helped him up. Natsu felt the woman's soft hands against his arms and the sudden warmth of her hands seemed to wake him up.

“You’re Asami Sato.” He said.

Natsu’s eyes widened at hearing himself speak, he wished he hadn’t apologized for telling her that he recognized her. The woman laughed softly and Natsu blushed at hearing her laugh like this for the first time.

“Yes and you?” She asked with her smile still hanging on her lips.

“Natsu.”

Asami gently pulled away from him and extended her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Natsu.”

The young man took her hand, trembling slightly.

“Yes … Me too.” he mumbled.

Asami withdrew her hand before picking up a cherry that had landed on her work attire. Natsu looked down and remembered that he originally had to tuck in the fruit crates, so he bent down to pick up the cherries, Asami did the same.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you.” Asami added, helping him hand over the cherries.

“Same here, sorry.” Natsu replied, smiling slightly.

As he finished putting away the yellow fruits, Natsu looked at Asami from the corner of his eye, wondering what the woman was doing here. He saw that she had a bag of soami perfumery in her hands. It was a perfume store which had just opened a few months ago and which had a rich clientele. It seemed that the heir to Future Industries was making this famous clientele. The of them having finished putting the cherries back in the crate stood up together.

“Thanks a lot, I’m sorry again.” Natsu said.

Asami smiled at him again and the young man thought to himself that he hadn’t seen her smile so much since he had known her.

“I think we’re both pretty sorry. Besides it was an accident.” Asami replied wisely.

“Yeah, well thank you again. I… I don’t want to delay you any further. I’m pretty sure you have plenty to do, a company to run and everything,” he stammered.

Still in a good mood, Asami shrugged.

“Not really.”

She looked up at Pema’s restaurant sign before returning her attention to Natsu who had the crate of cherries in his hands.

“I actually think I’ll have some tea and maybe some pastries.”

“Oh… yes of course. Jinora’s pastries are excellent.”

Asami motioned for Natsu to walk past.

“In that case, I’ll take you up on that. After you Natsu.”

Blushing again the young man who mastered all the four elements told himself that he liked very much how Asami pronounced his name.

“I have two more cases to get in and then I’m all yours.” He told her before blushing even more as he understood the implications in his words.

However, the woman ignored it and sat down, taking the menu from the table. Natsu quickly put away the remaining crates then returned to Asami. He couldn’t help but feel slightly confused, the heiress was just lovely. She ordered the dessert of the day as well as a jasmine tea while keeping a smile on her lips.

This Asami was so different from the one who easily gets angry with the Avatar. Now if there was a time Natsu would have forgiven her for being aggressive it was right now with all the pressure she was receiving because of her father. Yet she was here, sitting quietly in a restaurant after helping someone she had just met pick up cherries, drink tea, enjoy her pastry, congratulating Jinora for making it, while discussing the rain and good weather with the waiter she had bumped into earlier.

Yes, Natsu was indeed confused.

As he brought the bill to Asami, Natsu met the gaze of Opal who was helping Jinora in the kitchen while waiting for Pema to return. He frowned at the conspiratinal look of his friend, but didn’t take offense, preferring to join Asami who was waiting for him at her table. The heiress paid him her order before getting up.

“Wait till I bring you the change.” he told her when he saw the sum that she had left which was way more than she owed.

Asami gave him a discreet wink.

“No need. This cake and the service was excellent,” she said in a low voice.

Natsu blushed again not knowing what to say then Asami put her hand on his arm, squeezing it gently.

“I’ll be back for sure. Have a nice day, Natsu.”

“Have a nice day.” He replied, still dazed at what had just happened.

The heiress had just exited the restaurant when Opal already called out to him.

“Weellllllllll……” She purred with a huge smile on her lips.

“What?” Natsu grumbled.

Opal laughed loudly, causing a couple to turn around as they were eating quietly.

“Oh nothing….. Apart from the fact that Asami Sato only just spent an hour flirting with you. I wanted to know what you thought.”

Natsu took the money that Asami left then abruptly walked over to the cash register.

“She wasn’t flirting with me.” He growled, cheeks flushed.

“But of course…” Opal said mockingly. “She wasn’t taking her eyes off your biceps for aesthetic reasons.”

Natsu’s hands shook slightly as he deposited the money while blushing for the umpteenth time.

“You… You think so,” he stammered, with a tinge of hope.

“Believe ne, Natsu. She likes you,” his friend assured him.

Did Asami like him? Asami liked him when he was Natsu and not the Avatar?

He was confused again. Since he had met the heiress’s gaze the first time he had wanted to know everything about her. However, he quickly realized that it was going to be complicated given the reactions he was receiving from Asami. Now Asami had always met him when he was the Avatar and now that she had met him as Natsu it seemed, if he was speaking from Opal’s point of view, that Asami was interested too.

Honestly? Natsu didn’t know what to make of it.

He was as much the Avatar as Natsu, and yet these two encountered diametrically opposed moods in Asami.

The latter had said she would come back, but would she? Natsu sighed as he walked over to a group of young people entering the restaurant. Perhaps it was a unique fact. Asami might never come back and he wouldn’t have to wring his mind trying to figure out this woman. Unfortunately this untimely meeting had only tickled his curiosity and called into question his decision to leave the heiress alone.

Asami meanwhile returned home lighter after her tea, her pastry and her meeting with the waiter. Those few hours were the most normal and the happiest she had been since her father was arrested. She felt glad that she had the idea of parking further away to walk a bit to clear her mind.

It was a total success.

Natsu had seemed slightly stressed around her but she knew that being a public person she could deal with this kind of reaction to her presence. However, she couldn’t get the smile of the young man out of her head. His smile but also his bewitching blue eyes and tantalizing biceps. Asami imperceptibly licked her lips at the way his shoulders were sculpted and she was sure his torso was also impressive from what the restaurant’s tank top hinted at. She imagined passing her hands on his arms, his shoulders, his stomach…

Oh. Shit.

She would most certainly go back to see Natsu. She would certainly see the handsome and charming waiter again.

Indeed she returned to Pema’s restaurant the following week. A smile spread across her lips when she saw Natsu inside serving. Pema’s restaurant was fuller than last time because it was time to eat. Her heart leaped slightly in her chest as Natsu’s blue eyes met her. Asami gave him a flirtatious smile before opening the door to enter the restaurant.

“H-hey, Asami.” He stuttered greeting her shyly.

“Hello, Natsu.”

The two of them looked at each other for a few moments in silence before Asami spoke again.

“Where can I sit.”

Natsu was shocked to see the heiress return. Since last week he hadn’t been able to get Asami out of his head now that he had seen her in a different light.

“Oh, yeah of course.”

He led Asami to one of the empty tables before handing her the menu.

“Thanks.” She told him as she took the menu, letting their fingers touch for a few moments.

Natsu withdrew his hand, blushing slightly.

“Do you want some tea in the meantime?”

“With pleasure, jasmine?”

The waiter nodded and left to prepare Asami’s order. He passed Opal who winked at him when she saw the presence of the heiress. Natsu upon returning flicked Opal on her forehead and growled lightly without actually answering her.

“Ouch, meanie” she complained.

“Your tea.” Natsu said as he set it down on the table.

“Thank you.”

Natsu smiles before taking her order. Unfortunately, he couldn’t speak as long with Asami as he had the previous time because of the number of customers there that day. Besides, Asami had to go back to work too.

“It made me happy to come back.” said the young woman with green eyes, handing him the money.

“That right?” Natsu questioned, unsure of what to say.

Asami pursed her lips to hide her smile.

“See you soon?”

Natsu smiled at her.

“See you soon.”

The heiress left the restaurant and Natsu watched her leave until he could no longer see Asami. He quickly went back to work, suspecting that somewhere in the restaurant, Opal was watching him with a friendly laugh.

XXX

“Natsu?”

The young man turned to Tenzin who had just called him out.

“Lin is waiting for you at the station, there is a problem.”

Natsu nodded gravely, seeing his mentor’s serious look. He rushed to his bedroom to put on his traditional Fire Nation outfit and White Mask so that all could recognize him as the Avatar. He took his glider and flew to the station. He found Lin in her office with Mako.

“What is it?” He asked, sliding his mask off his face, Mako and Lin were part of his close circle who knew his true identity.

“Asami Sato has been kidnapped,” the chief announced.

Natsu’s blood swirled around.

“What!?” he choked.

“Masters have just kidnapped her, apparently a group of rebels are trying to get revenge on Amon and his followers.”

Natsu clenched his teeth, wondering when this tale between Benders and those with no mastery of the elements would finally end.

“She defended herself well, but there were too many of them.” Lin continued, showing him the map of the city that she had spread out on her desk. “My agents have been tracking them for a few days and we have reduced their headquarters to three locations.”

Lin pointed to the three locations that were circled in red.

“Chief!” An agent exclaimed, rushing into the office.

Natsu quickly put his mask back on so as not to be recognized as Lin was going to be angry with the person who had just interrupted them, however she didn’t have time.

“We detected movement in the old stadium.” He exclaimed.

Without waiting another second Natsu rushed out of the police station, quickly followed by Lin, Mako and other policemen.


	5. Chapter 5

“Who are the others?”

Asami bit back a moan as she felt another slap hit her cheek. Once the pain and the shock passed, she clenched her teeth, it seemed to her that it had been hours since a group of individuals had surrounded her as they left her factory to kidnap her. Despite all her goodwill and self-defence lessons, she had been overwhelmed and ended up captured. Her captors were too many and on top of that they used the elements, or at least Fire, Earth and Waterbending. Since then they tortured her to get the names of people who worked for Amon and that wasn’t captured by Chief Beifong and the Avatar.

“I told you, I don’t know because I was not part of the movement…”

She didn’t have time to finish when already another slap sounded followed by a burn on her arm.

“You tell that to the other bithces. We know you were helping them.”

The crux of the matter was that the people around her didn’t want to listen to reason, they were convinced that she was in cahoots with her father and therefore Amon. Asami bit her lip when she again felt a Firebender burn her on her arm, she looked down and saw that her sleeves had been ragged for a little while and her skin showed the scars of her burns. She wondered briefly how long it would take for the healers to remove these marks, indeed if she remained a prisoner too long she would have lifelong consequences, like Lord Zuko. But before that could happen, she had to find a way to escape… Or someone had to find her.

Suddenly she felt something choke her, a master was using his Waterbending to drown her and as she was about to pass out from the lack of oxygen the pressure was gone. She took a deep breath when hands pulled her hair violently.

“Who are the others?” Her attacker growled.

Still a little dizzy, Asami replied again that she didn’t know. She could not say how long she had to undergo this muscular interrogation but as she began to lose patience and hope a crash was heard. Asami thought she recognized the sound of a smashed door, or something. Quickly she heard the sounds of fighting.

Asami smiles, someone had come for her.

She tried to lift her head to see what was going on, but she was weak and found it difficult to follow. All that ultimately mattered was that she finally had peace.

“Asami?”

The heiress looked up at who called her first name. She should have expected it. The Avatar had come to save her.

Like any good hero.

However, she was too relieved to be choosy. She felt the Avatar loosen her bonds then she felt herself being lifted into the air. The Avatar carried her outside before flying away, holding her firmly in his arms. Asami felt a slight irritation at being in the Avatar’s steel arms, but she remained silent, not wanting to give the hero too much satisfaction. The Avatar lands in front of a hospital before going inside as if the place belongs to him.

“I need someone and fast.”

Asami gritted her teeth when she saw the man giving order but when she was gently placed on a stretcher she was grateful.

“Thank you.” She whispered, even though her ego was hurt she could acknowledge that the hero had pulled her out of trouble.

The Avatar nodded and then she was taken away. Asami passed out within seconds after a healer took care of her, finally feeling safe.

When she woke up several hours later, it took a few moments for her to remember where she was. One of her first instincts was to look at her arms. They were white, with no trace of any burns, she sighed in relief when she realized that the healers had managed to make her skin feel soft and smooth again. She saw that on the table next to her there was a glass of water and something to eat. In the middle of her small meal a healer came to visit her. She seemed quite awake, almost too much to work yet, with no doubt about her Water Tribe origins.

“Miss Sato!” She greeted her with a reassuring smile. “It’s a pleasure to see you wake up.”

“Thanks.” She replied politely. “How long have I been here?”

“Almost 12 hours Miss. It took over an hour to take care of all your injuries.” She explained to her while taking her arms in her hands to examine them. “But I think we’re finally done. How are you feeling?”

“Better.” She smiled slightly, remembering the pain she was in when she was brought here. “A little sore, but I feel a lot better.”

“Good. Glad to hear it.”

The healer smiled at her for a moment before resuming.

“The police want to talk to you when you feel ready. They will come here, we want to keep you one more day to make sure everything is okay with you.”

Asami nodded, not surprised for a second by this information.

“They can drop by whenever they want.”

“Fine, I’ll talk to Chief Beifong about it,” she assured her. “Do you need anything else?”

“Another glass of water will be good.”

The healer took the empty glass and started to leave, but changed her mind at the last moment.

“I wanted to tell you Miss, that even though I am a master, I do not endorse at all what happened to you. I never thought you were pushing to have anything to do with Amon. I was there when you had inaugurated the west wing of this health center, you had spoken for a while with one of my colleagues' daughters… I remember it as if it were yesterday.”

Asami was touched by the old woman’s words and a genuine smile crossed her lips.

“But when the Avatar said you helped him arrest your father and…”

“What?” Asami exclaimed.

The healer frowned then realized what she had just said.

“Oh I forgot, you were recovering. But shortly after dropping you off, the Avatar made a public announcement exposing the act of these criminals. He defended you fervently, explaining that ‘He had always believed in you and revealed the role you had in arresting Hiroshi Sato and Amon.’ You are a truly brave person, Miss Sato.” She explained with a hint of passion in her voice.

Asami did not know how to answer and so as not to offend the old woman she nodded vigorously.

“Thank you.” She stammered. “Can you bring me some water please?” Or some tea if you have?” She asked to get rid of her.

“Sure! I’ll be back soon… It’ll take time for the water to heat up for the tea.” SHe said before stepping outside.

The heiress still had her jaws clenched, wondering what it was exactly the Avatar had said to the world. She would ask the healer to bring her the daily newspaper at the same time but forgot. She suspected that her abduction, torture and ther her rescue by the hero of Republic City must have already made the headlines. Even though she was grateful for the Avatar coming to save her, she was irritated to know that he had stood up for her without her consent. She could defend herself on her own! And the public didn’t necessarily need to know that she had helped her father, however traitorous, end up behind bars. Moreover, she knew that the masters who had kidnapped her were part of a tiny minority people who believed her to be guilty.

“For you, Miss Sato.”

Asami took the tea given to her with gratitude.

“Chief Beifong has let me know that she will be coming in the afternoon. You have a bit of time to rest before she arrives.” The old woman informed her.

“Thank you very much. Say, can you find me today’s daily newspaper please?”

The healer smiled at her nodding before leaving her again. When she finally had the newspaper in her hands, her fears were well founded. The Avatar had defended her as if she was just a casualty in the story. There was no sign that she had stood up to her attackers, she was sure she had injured at least three of them. Only the heroic act of the Avatar was highlighted, as was his speech that asked the people of Republic CIty to her alone, as she had nothing to do with her father. Asami gritted her teeth as she read this, because it was wrong. She had a lot in common with him, only she hadn’t let herself fall into hatred and revenge like him.

The anger that was flowing through her body right now had nothing to do, of course.

“Hello.”

Asami was cut off from her thoughts when she heard Lin who was standing on the doorstep.

“Hello.” She replied whilst putting down the newspaper, which she had read too many times.

“How are you feeling?” The other woman asked, a very slight hint of concern in her voice and Asami didn’t miss it.

“Alright, just a little tired.”

Lin came to sit on the chair beside her bed. The two women looked at each other for a few moments, then Asami gave her a shy smile, which seemed to bring the Chief of Police out of her torpor.

“The people who kidnapped you have been apprehended. However, I need to hear your side of the story to see if we missed anything or anyone or if they have had any accomplices.” Lin said, taking a notebook to write down the speech of the former captive.

Asami told her what had happened as best she could, she could see a look of pride when she told the other woman that she had been fighting for a few minutes, putting three attackers to the ground.

“The self defense lessons worked.” Lin commented, having been one of the first to suggest to her after her mother died.

“For a while, yes.”

“There were more than ten, Asami, that’s already very good.” She reassured her.

The heiress nodded, taking the compliment offered to her before continuing her story.

“I woke up in that dark room and they were just asking me for the names of the people my father and Amon were associated with. There were two Firebenders, one Waterbender and two Earthbenders. I think the Avatar found the rest…”

“Yes, we found them and a few others. We think they are a small group of extremists. They have all been touched in one way or another by Amon.”

“They were looking for revenge.” Asami said seeing in their actions a reflection of her fathers.

“Yes. And it’s by no means your fault.” SHe announced with the utmost confidence, her tone slightly surprised Asami otherwise.

The young woman knew it had nothing to do with it, but that did not prevent her from having been captured and tortured for hours. Asami felt Lin’s hand on her arm and she realized that she had zoned out for a few minutes. The chief had enough time to put her notebook away without her noticing.

“I have to go, but are you okay?”

“Yes, yes… I just have a lot of things to think about, that’s all.” She tried to reassure her.

Lin withdrew her hand and Asami missed her reassuring warmth right after as she saw the chief stand up to leave. Suddenly the injured woman felt the need to speak to her.

“Do you remember when you took me home after you arrested my father?” Asami asked.

The other woman facing her gave her a slight nod.

“You asked me, If I wanted to call someone to come see me and I said I prefer to be alone.”

Lin still didn’t speak but encouraged her to continue by nodding her head again.

“I enjoyed having you at home by my side that day and I’m glad to have you here now, even if it’s for an investigation. In fact since my mother died, you’ve been there when I need you.” Her cheeks getting a little red from her confession. “I don’t mean to scare you or anything but… What I mean is… Thank you for everything. For being there for me when no one…”

Lin’s face seemed to melt instantly and she approached her.

“I’m not taking it badly,” she assured her.

Then to Asami’s surprise, Lin leaned over her and kissed her on the forehead. The heiress’s heart pounded furiously in her chest, remembering when it was her mother who gave her that kind of reassuring kiss in the evening before sleeping. Asami blamed herself for a few moments for transferring the love she had for her mother to Lin Beifong. However, the look of gratitude and the slightly shining eyes of the other woman stopped her regrets.

“I’m telling you what I said last time, if you need to for anything, you can always call me.”

“Thanks...Lin.”

The two women smiled at each other for a moment then the older one left Asami to go back to work.


	6. Chapter 6

“Um… hello?”

Asami looked up from her notes Lee had brought her shortly after Lin was gone, just because she was injured didn’t mean she had to stop working after all. She saw that this time on the doorstep stood the Avatar. Asami’s eyes sparkled. Perfect. She was ready to receive the man. And by receiving she meant to reproach him for his last public speech.

“Avatar.” She greeted him.

She couldn’t see Natsu’s face under his mask, but if she could she would’ve seen the hero’s grimace. Natsu began to doubt, wondering once again if he had been right to come and check on Asami. At least as the Avatar. However, he advanced all the same towards the woman who was on the bed.

“Did you come to see how the poor woman was recovering from her kidnapping?”

Yeah, he shouldn’t have come as the Avatar he told himself as he heard the venom in the young woman’s voice.

“It’s not…”

“So you came for another thank you, is that it? I don’t need you to defend my honor like that…”

The reproaches and worry of the last few hours got the better of Natsu for once.

“It reassures me…” He replied.

Asami frowned, not expecting such a response.

“What…” she said in confusion.

“No, I thought you were going to blame me for coming to save you, because apparently you have a hell of a superiority complex…” he continued vehemently.

“A superiority complex? Are you saying that? Is that what’s happening in the newspaper everyday?” ASami exclaimed fiercely.

“So, is that it? You’re jealous…”

“What no, not at all!” She cut him off.

“So what is it? I haven’t done anything to harm or threaten you at all and you’re treating me like it’s all my fault.”

Asami was about to answer but the Avatar raised his hand to prevent her from speaking.

“You know what? Next time you mess around, you’re on your own,” the Avatar finished before leaving without waiting for a response from the heiress.

The latter was silent on her bed, really surprised by the excess of anger on the Avatar’s part. She was not used to this kind of reaction from the hero, suddenly she realized that he was right. Usually it was her who spoke violently to the young man and then left him behind. She was confused to see that the table had been turned that night. However, despite her confusion, her feelings were still the same, she did not want any help from the Avatar. And how dare he tell her that she had a superiority complex? It suited him very well not to have his photo and all his actions recorded in the newspaper.

Stupid Avatar.

Finally she was able to go home as planned the next day. Her servants welcomed her with pleasure and took care of her, which gaver her great pleasure. Mako also came to visit her a few days later to check on her and tell her that everyone who had abducted her was now behind bars. She was happy to see him again, and she missed him a little. However, she was irritated when he told her about the Avatar and her surprise to know that he had come to see her.

“He never goes to see the injured, are you two close?” He asked.

Asami almost choked on hearing this. She and the Avatar close? What next?

“Not at all.”

Mako grimaced at hearing his ex-girlfriend’s scathing response and knowing her, he decided not to insist. Asami, meanwhile, couldn’t get the remark out of her head after he left. Why did the Avatar continue to occupy her thoughts? Why did he always come to save her? Why was he coming to see her? Couldn’t he stay away from her?

XXX

Asami unconsciously smiled when she saw the front of Pema’s restaurant. Now that she was feeling better , that she had caught up to work, she had decided to go for a walk to see Natsu. These last days she had thought a lot about the young man with the bewitching blue eyes, thoughts much nicer that those of the Avatar.

When she entered the restaurant, however, her good humor dissipated that the handsome waiter was not present. It was Opal who came to meet her.

“Asami.” She greeted her with a smile.

“Hi, Opal.” She responded back, despite her disappointment at not seeing Natsu.

She remembered the other woman had dated Mako’s younger brother Bolin, when Asami and Mako were still together. Opal was sweet but had a bubbly character and she had a great time with her.

“Are you coming to eat?” She asked. “I’m sorry, but Natsu isn’t here today.” She added with a slight hint in her voice.

Asami blushed slightly when she saw the waitress’s expression but nodded anyway. As she sat down she could hear the radio in the kitchen broadcasting news, apparently the Avatar had been seen fighting with members of a gang who were allegedly connected to the Red Lotus. A group of terrorists who began to rage in the city recently. The heiress sighed, wondering when Republic City would finally have peace.

The meal was good, as always, however, without Natsu’s presence it was different, although she was happy to find Opal. Once she had finished eating, the two young women talked about Bolin and his participation as well as Mako, in the Masters tournament. The season would soon begin for them and other masters.

“There is a friendly tournament in two weeks. I am still their sponsor and I have places in the VIP section. You can come if you want.” She offered to her. “Natsu, can come if he likes as well.” She added.

“I have to ask Pema and Tenzin, but yes I would like to and I’m sure Natsu will too.” Opal replied with a smile.

“Great, I’ll drop by to bring you the seats sometime this week.”

Opal nodded before having to return to work. Asami greeted her then she left too. Her company was waiting for her.

Last that evening when Natsu returned, Opal informed him of Asami’s visit as well as her offer to go see the friendly tournament. Natsu was stunned at this information. Once again he was confused. The last time he had seen Asami, he was the Avatar and the tone had risen between the two of them. He had thought he wouldn’t see the heiress again because of it. But the tension had been between Asami and the Avatar, not Asami and Natsu. He wasn;t sure what to do, he was still a little angry with himself for the overreacting Asami, with the young woman verbally assaulting him everytime he was the Avatar. However, he was quite tempted to go see the Masters Tournament, he hadn’t had the time to go yet since he arrived in Republic City and Opal seemed to really want to support her boyfriend.

Asami reappeared in the restaurant a few days later with seats for the game as promised. The heiress joined Natsu with a smile and the hero felt himself blush when he saw Asami with her gentle expression.

“I’m glad to see you’re okay.” He told her as the young woman took her place behind a table.

His confusion quickly evaporated, preferring to enjoy those few moments with Asami dropping into the conversation. He decided to tell her what he wanted when he had been to see her as the Avatar.

“I would have liked to come see you when you were hurt, but I didn’t know if I could have.” He confessed.

Asami smiled and felt her heartbeat a little faster in her chest imagining she had received a visit from Natsu.

“You could have.” She replied, feeling her cheeks tint red.

The two of them looked at each other, smiling stupidly for a few moments, then Opal walked past Natsu and pushed him slightly. It brought the two of them back to reality.

“What can I do for you?” Natsu asked taking her order.

Asami quickly looked at the menu before making her choice. Much like the previous times they took the time to talk while the heiress ate, however, Natsu avoided asking her about the fact that she had been captured. After all, he already knew everything there was to know, he preferred to ask her how her work was going, her restoration of a previous motorcycle as well as their predictions on the teams of the Masters Tournament.

“How much do I owe you today?”

Natsu smiled at her before shaking his head.

“This one’s on the house.”

“What? No, let me pay for it.”

“It’s for not coming to see you, think of it as a get well gift.” Natsu explained.

“No, I’m fine now. Let me pay for it.” She replied.

“You are already offering us seats for the Tournament.”

“They were offered to me. Let me pay for Pema. You can buy me a meal at another restaurant.” Asami offered, a little surprised at her own audacity.

The waiter’s eyes widened slightly, he too was surprised but he smiled and blushed.

“Okay. We can do it like that.” He agreed.

“Good.” Asami replied, handing him a large sum of money as always. “See you next week then, Natsu.”


	7. Chapter 7

It took a little while for Natsu to realize that he was going to see a Masters match with Opal but especially Asami. He still had trouble coping with the two antagonistic reactions of the heiress in his presence. Opal was right, he felt like she was flirting with him when he was just Natsu, the waiter, Natsu. Usually he interested people when he was the Avatar. He was flattered to know that Asami appreciated him as himself.

However, he was also the Avatar, it was his and his former lives. He was both… So he felt conflicted.Especially since he loved Asami a lot, he loved her when she spoke to him kindly and told him about her life, when she behaved with him in a human and simple way. Not the aggressiveness he received as the Avatar.

Opal and Natsu met up with Asami in front of the new stadium less than half an hour before the Friendly Tournament. Asami wore a dress for the occasion while Opal and Natsu dressed in simple outfits in the colours of Earth and Fire. Asami as often, wore an outfit that recalled her origins in the Fire Nation. Her dress, black and red, was not as fancy as the one she had worn at President Raiko’s reception. Natsu greatly appreciated this change in the heiress’s wardrobe.

Natsu was certain that Asami would look good in any outfit anyway. Her usual outfit with her black pants that hinted at long legs and a motorcycle jacket that made her look a little wild.

Asami was beautiful. Always.

The latter greeted them with a smile before leading them to her VIP stand. The three of them entered into a heated conversation about the Tournament as they ate the few toast that had been offered to them, the perks of being with an important person who had money.

Finally, the voice of the commentator made them turn to the ring and they took their places to enjoy the show. Opal, in a not-so-subtle way, sat down at one end, forcing Natsu to sit next to Asami. Realizing the young woman’s merry-go-round, the heiress couldn’t help but blush, unfortunately Natsu spent the entire time of the Tournament with his eyes riveted on the spectacle. As if he was part of it. Asami smiled discreetly, she knew Natsu had never seen a Tournament before.

Sometimes it seemed like the young man wanted to be in the ring. She could understand this feeling, when she was younger she also wanted to participate, her mother had to explain to her that she had no mastery, preventing her from being able to be part of a team. The heiress began to sympathize with Natsu, who even though had the ability to Firebend, Natsu was restricted from being able to join at all. Unlike Opal who could Airbend but couldn’t participate either because Air was the only element which was not present in a team, because there were not enough masters for that.

Mako and Bolin’s team had a new recruit this year, a young lady from the Northern Water Tribe who seemed to have adjusted well to the two brothers.

“She’s good,” Natsu commented.

“Yeah and Mako likes her a lot and… I think the feeling’s mutual,” Opal told him teasingly.

Natsu smiled softly at him. He knew the policeman and Bolin well as those two were Natsu’s first friends when he first moved to Republic City. Mako had a thoughtful character and spoke little. However, his job was close to his heart, he wanted to make a difference at his level. Natsu knew Lin esteemed him, which was saying a lot.

“Let’s go join our favorite team,” Asami announced at the end of the Tournament.

Opal hopped for joy and Natsu smiled fondly when he saw his friend happy to be able to join her boyfriend. Asami led them into the locker room where they easily found the team they had come to cheer on.

“Opal!” Bolin exclaimed when he saw the young woman arrive.

He rushed over to kiss her. Mako looked up at this display of feelings but a slightly mocking smile was visible on his lips.

“Asami, Natsu,” he greeted the pair who were coming in.

“Good evening Mako,” Asami replied whilst Natsu waved his hand at him, smiling softly.

“This is Sumi, our Waterbender,” he said, putting his hand on the back of the last member of the team.

Asami had heard Opal say that she suspected that he and Sumi liked each other more than friends and seeing her ex-boyfriend acting with the other woman she could not help but agree with her. They were standing a little closer than necessary and he was more tactical than usual. She remembered when it was with her that he did this.

A touch of nostalgia seized her, Mako was a good person and she told herself that if they had tried harder they could have been together again.

Her gaze then fell on Natsu and her nostalgia vanished. She let her eyes rest on his crossed arms of the young man, his top hinted at his muscles and once again Asami wondered what she could do to maintain herself like this. Moments later she met Mako’s gaze, who seemed to have noticed her reverie. The policeman raised an eyebrow and she instantly blushed. However, Mako smiled discreetly at her and she felt lighter when she saw this.

Bolin interrupted their silent exchange by announcing that him and Opal were going to leave together to enjoy their evening. Asami smiled as she watched the pair leave.

“How about we go too?” She offered.

“I have to refuse, I am working early tomorrow,” Mako apologized

“Me too,” Sumi said, seeing that her teammate had refused the offer.

“How about you, Natsu?” Asami asked, her heart pounding.

On the one hand she felt relieved that the Masters had refused her offer and that they could leave her alone with the waiter, on the other hand she was afraid of Natsu’s refusal.

“Well, I do still owe you a meal, so fine by me,” Natsu replied with a smile.

Asami met Mako’s gaze again but quickly returned her attention to Natsu.

“That’s right. Let’s go then.”

The young man nodded and they left Mako and Sumi in the locker room. The two of them decided to eat at a restaurant which was not far from the stadium. The restaurant was bigger than Pema’s, but still warm. Asami saw with humor that Natsu hastened to order three dishes containing meat, as Tenzin’s family were vegetarians and the restaurant followed that idea. The waiter therefore had very little opportunity to eat meat. Natsu had an amazing appetite but once again with the impressive body it was no surprise that he needed food to stay in good shape.

The conversation between the two of them revolved mainly around the matches they had just seen, but also Opal, Bolin, Mako and Sumi as well as future work and projects of Asami. Natsu had successfully avoided talking about himself, because apart from his job as a waiter he spent most of his time training with Tenzin or Lin when he was not roaming the city under the white mask of the Avatar.

Asami offered to take him back to Pema’s restaurant, where behind was the home of Tenzin’s family where Natsu lived.

The waiter frowned when he saw the young woman’s motorbike.

“Have you ever been on a motorbike before?” Asami scoffed gently.

“No… I don’t know if I want to get on this death craft,” he replied mockingly.

However, his curiosity was stronger and he agreed to take a seat behind Asami. He realized his mistake the next he did that when he was forced to tackle Asami. His whole body reacts to the heat of the heiress in front of him. He was relieved that she had lent him a helmet, thus allowing him blush to hide. As promised Asami dropped him off in front of Pema’s restaurant.

“Thank you very much for the evening,” Natsu told her as he returned her helmet.

He still felt a bit cloudy. Asami smiled at him through her helmet.

“Thanks to you.”

They looked at each other for a few moments in silence when a passing Satomobile awoke them from their contemplation.

“Okay uh… I have to go,” Natsu stammered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“Yes. See you soon?” Asami asked hopefully.

Natsu nodded before rushing into the restaurant, leaving Asami smiling on her motorbike. On returning to his room, Natsu was still on cloud nine, too happy with the evening he had just spent in the company of his friends but also Asami.

However, his state of well being dissipated the next day when he put on his Avatar outfit again. He had almost forgotten that the Red Lotus was still terrorizing the city and that it was his duty to put an end to it. When he met his reflection he was also reminded about Asami’s disgust for him in this form.

His guilt then resurfaced. Asami loved only one part of him while he loved the heiress through and through. He felt as if he was betraying his past lives but especially Asami by hiding parts of his life from her. He felt sullen because of it and then finally decided to try to figure out why Asami despised him so much when he was in the Avatar’s guise.


	8. Chapter 8

Asami had no awareness of Natsu’s dilemma and kept coming to the restaurant a few times to see him. Sometimes the waiter was there but other times he was outside roaming around as the Avatar. Asami took advantage of these opportunities to get close to Opal who was also a very endearing person. However, the few times she did manage to see Natsu there were always people in the restaurant and she found herself frustrated that she couldn’t spend time with Natsu without an interruption by someone. She could see that the waiter was more distant because of this and she wanted to regain their slight bond of the evening they had been to see the Masters Tournament and where they had dined together. The heiress therefore decided to visit Natsu in the evening close to closing time.

“Hey, Asami,” he greeted when he saw her arrive.

Despite Natsu’s smile Asami could see that something seemed to be bothering the young man. A bit like the previous time actually. Asami then wondered if his slightly distant attitude was really due to the presence of other customers as she had assumed or if it was something else. However, Natsu took a seat next to her after offering her a cup of tea and asked her how her day had been, looking at her with interest. Asami pushed the negative thoughts out of her mind, maybe she was just imagining things. She smiled softly at him before starting to speak.

Natsu listened intently and tried to participate in the conversation as much as possible but he couldn’t be so sincere with Asami lately. The fact that he was the Avatar never left his mind. Finally his salvation came when the radio in the kitchen turned off the soft music and played his brief news flash of the day, the commentator explained how the Avatar had saved a dozen people in the morning. Natsu saw Asami frown and took the opportunity to tell him about her alter-ego.

“Have I ever told you, how happy I am that the Avatar saved you?”

Natsu felt his cheeks heat up as he said this, he knew somehow that they were throwing flowers at each other. Asami just groaned.

“What?” The waiter asked innocently.

Asami sighed, looking at Natsu. She knew the young man had a good heart and part of her loved that Natsu told her this, however, the fact that he pointed out that it was the Avatar who saved her made her a bit unpleasant. Nonetheless, she left it was normal for Natsu to be surprised at her reaction and decided that he had the right to understand her.

“It’s just the Avatar…” she replied.

Natsu tried not to back down as he heard Asami say his other name in disgust.

“He’s so…”

The waiter’s heart leapt in his chest. He was finally going to have answers. Asami seemed to search for her words for a few seconds.

“... Pretentious!”

Natsu’s eyes lit up in surprise. He hadn’t expected such an adjective to qualify him.

“How’s that?” he asked.

“He struts around town like everything belongs to him,” she growled.

Natsu frowned when he saw Asami no longer looking at him. He could see that the young woman was in her own world, surely imagining herself in front of the Avatar. If only she knew..

“He feels obligated to tell everyone that he saved poor little Asami Sato! She is so fragile with her traitorous father…” she continued, still not paying the slightest attention to Natsu.

The latter clenched his right hand nervously. He had felt that Asami had just closed in on his side. He wondered if he should defend himself or not.

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Asami finished.

Good.

It seemed like the decision had been made for him. Natsu couldn’t help but wince at the woman’s dry tone but nodded and then asked Asami to tell him about the awkward new employee. The diversion had desired effect because the young CEO got carried away in the story of the young man’s latest disaster. Natsu laughed and nodded at the right times, in reality he felt even more lost than before.

Pretentious?

Was he really like that?

What would Asami think if she knew he had cheated her all this time? Or worse, that he had asked her questions about himself?

He thought back to the time he had gone to see her in the hospital, already Asami had been upset that he had spoken to the press. At the time, he had told her, more unpleasantly it was true, that the heiress had been jealous of the attention he was receiving. Was it really that? Or on the contrary, was it because she did not like to be talked about in the press?

“Big brother, Natsu?”

Jinora’s voice interrupted Asami’s speech and Natsu’s thoughts.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

Tenzin’s eldest daughter, who had so far been in the kitchen, stuck her head out to talk to her friend.

“Are you going to be finished soon? I need help in the kitchen… I don’t want to go to bed too late.”

Asami apologized in embarrassment when she realized that she has monopolized the waiter for a long time. That was her goal when she came here but it didn’t stop her from feeling embarrassed, like she had been caught in the act.

The restaurant had been empty for over half an hour and she figured Natsu was free to be with her but it was obvious that he still had work to do.

“I’m sorry, I kept you so long,” she repeated as she saw Natsu stand up.

“It’s nothing, really,” he replied, smiling.

Asami got up too and put some coins on the table for her tea. She saw that the waiter was going to refuse but her focused gaze convinced him not to make a fuss.

“Well… I should go help Jinora,” Natsu said, rubbing the back of his neck, showing slight nervousness.

The heiress smiled when she saw him like that and she took it as a good sign.

“I think so. I was happy to see you tonight,” she told him.

Natsu smiled nervously at her. Asami took pity on him and made the next move. She leaned gently towards him and saw the man’s eyes widen at the action. Asami placed a soft kiss on Natsu’s cheek before stepping back seconds later. She had left her lips on Natsu’s skin a little longer than necessary. As she pulled away she still stayed close enough to Natsu, hoping that the man would understand the clue and kiss her in turn. Preferably on the lips.

The conflict was faintly visible in Natsu’s eyes and finally he took a step back. The waiter wanted nothing more than to get closer to Asami both physically and emotionally, but he couldn’t do that to her. He had been lying to her since they first met in front of the restaurant. As if to convince himself even further afield, the radio broadcast another piece of information on the recent activities of the Red Lotus.

In front of the waiter’s silence Asami decided to take the lead again, not knowing that Natsu was in a throes of dilemma.

“Good evening, Natsu. See you soon,” she told him in a soft voice.

Natsu nodded, feeling his body shake at the display of affection Asami had just given him. When the restaurant door closed, he clenched his jaw. He couldn’t let this situation continue like this. Many weeks earlier he had made a decision; no longer approach Asami. He had vowed to do it as the Avatar, but now he also had to do it as Natsu. It was too dangerous. The beautiful heires occupied his thoughts almost continuously, his conflict with her did not leave him. But he was the Avatar, Raava had chosen him for a reason, she had chosen him to restore balance and if he spent his time thinking about Asami and not fighting the Red Lotus it was no good. He had to stay focused on the Avatar and his duties to the world. He knew that being the Avatar and having a personal life, especially a love life, were not mutually exclusive, but at the moment he could not afford such luxury.

“Big brother, Natsu?”

Jinora’s voice brought him back to reality but he had already made up his mind. The next time he saw Asami, he would tell her that they couldn’t see each other anymore. This would end his dilemma. If he didn’t see her anymore he wouldn’t feel guilty about lying to her about his true identity. It was that easy.

Across town Asami was walking home, the smile plastered across her face as if she could still feel the softness of Natsu’s cheek against her lips.

XXX

Asami finishes her champagne flute to hide her boredom. One of President Raiko’s advisers had been talking to her for over ten minutes and didn’t seem to realize she didn’t care. To tell the truth the young man was too focused on his latest bill on garbage collection. Asami barely spoke but he didn’t seem to take it badly. In fact Luka, the young man, most certainly the type of person who liked to hear the sound of his own voice. The heiress let her gaze focus on the rest of the President’s reception for the Anniversary of his election.

A white flash caught her gaze and her body tensed when she saw that the Avatar was also present. He was talking to an elderly man in a Water Tribe outfit. Asami briefly wondered how long they had known each other. She had seen this man a few times before, but she couldn’t remember who he was. She was briefly thinking of asking Luka to tell her who it was but that would sound like an interest in the Avatar and she had no interest in the Avatar!

Especially when she remembered the last time they had seen each other in the hospital. The Avatar had left with loss and crash, leaving her a little stunned in bed. However, she had recovered and if the Avatar wanted to confront her she was more than ready.

Her attention returned to Luka who continued talking to her, still not noticing that she was somewhere else in his thoughts. Asami nodded at the appropriate times so as not to offend him as she continued to glance at the Avatar who passed from person to person to speak with them.

“Do you want to dance?” Luka asked her after he finished explaining his law.

Asami’s first instinct was to refuse, however, she had nothing better to do and maybe he would finally shut up while they danced. Besides, she liked to dance, so why not?

She took Luka’s hand with a smile, then he led her to the dance floor with his back straight. Asami struggled not to roll her eyes when she saw the proud and confident look the councilor approached beside her. Unfortunately, it turned out that he more or less deserved his confidence, his dance steps were smooth and easy to follow, Asami realized. Luka was a really good dancer. He led her firmly and smoothly down the floor and she saw many of the guests turning to watch them dance. Including the Avatar and Asami tried not to pay attention.

Her thoughts turned to Natsu as Luka spun her around him. She thought to herself that she could have asked the handsome waiter to come with her tonight. She cursed herself for not having thought of it sooner, suddenly imagining herself dancing with Natsu and not Luka. It would have given her the perfect excuse to touch his arms, and therefore his biceps, legitimately. She wasn’t sure if Natsu could dance, after all she had never seen him dance before. However, she knew she could have convinced him to come with her on the dance floor. Maybe she could even have had that kiss she dreamed of and felt so close too. She had returned to the restaurant once since their late-night almost-kiss but unfortunately Natsu had been away that day.

The heiress had come back to reality seconds later when the dance was over. Luka respectfully bowed to thank her.

“Unfortunately, I have to leave you for the moment, President Raiko is waving to me.”   
  


Asami took a quick glance behind her and saw that indeed the president was looking at them intently.

“I had a good time with you, Miss Sato. I hope we can meet again.” He said, bowing again.

The heiress smiled discreetly without answering, the young man did not seem to take it badly at left to join the president who was still waiting for him. Asami meanwhile moved away from the dance floor to return to the buffet when she took a second flute of champagne.

Luka would have pleased her father. This was one of the first thoughts that came to Asami’s mind. He was well educated, cultured, good looking, well built and despite the fact that he spoke too much and was a bit arrogant, she could see that he had a good background. She too could be arrogant, especially when it came to engineering, and knew that she had a good physique. They were quite similar.

And he did not master any element.

This last thought imposed itself on her and made her feel like a cold shower.

Anyway, it doesn’t matter whether her father would have liked it or not. He was no longer here. He was in prison paying for his crimes.

She drained half of her flute the next second. Much to her annoyance, Asami was not alone for long. Several people passed before her eyes for meaningless and futile conversations, giving her plenty of time to glance at the Avatar who seemed to be having a pleasant time laughing in the company of a young woman from the Fire Nation. Finally, it was Zhu Li, assistance to her crazy partner Varrik who came to her aid, if one could put it mildly… Apparently Varrick had planned a surprise for the evening and was asking for his help.

The excuse was perfect, so she took the opportunity to exit the reception hall. Asami ended her evening helping Varrick with his machine that made pizzas and threw them more than two meters away. Strangely, many people were won over by Varrick’s invention, which allowed Asami to slip away from the evening in too much to point out. Taking her jacket, she saw the Avatar in the distance. Her eyes lingered on the hero one last time before leaving and as her driver drove her home, she knew that she had only had two drinks but she preferred to be careful, she realized that she had not crossed paths with the Avatar during the reception. In fact, if Asami had more or less walked around the room, the Avatar had always been opposite her, as if he was avoiding her.

Asami should have felt relieved, even happy, at such behaviour on the part of the Avatar but a strange feeling filled her. Then her usual annoyance returned, why was he continuing to deal with the Avatar?

So it was confusion that Asami had when she slipped into her bed.


	9. Chapter 9

“Natsu!”

The waiter turned to Tenzin exhausted. Lately the Avatar has been in greater demand because of the Red Lotus. He, Tenzin, Lin and Kya took the threat very seriously. They even had support from Lord Zuko, the friend of the previous Avatar. Aang had also dealt with Zaheer and his allies.

At the time they had thought that the threat posed by the Red Lotus had been brought under control with the death of Zaheer and the imprisonment of P’li, his mate, Ming-Hua and Ghazan his two other main associates. Unfortunately, recently it had turned out that Zaheer was not dead and he had managed to free his three companions. Their plan was still imprecise as were their actions, which made everyone nervous.

Because of the Red Lotus, it had been a few days since Natsu had a restful sleep and he was spending less and less time in restaurants and more and more training with Tenzin or Lin. When he wasn’t reconnoitring right and left, or studying an action plan.

Hearing the Airbender call him, Natsu suspected that he was going to have to go after the Red Lotus again. He sighed softly, for once he would have liked to spend a quiet evening working in Pema’s restaurant with Pema, Opal, Jinora, Kai, who had seen his number of working hours increase since Natsu left and Ikki. Natsu walked over to him quietly and he pulled him aside, confirming his suspicions.

“Lin, just called. There’s a break-in at Future Industries.”

The young man’s heart raced violently. He had not seen Asami since the night he had been present as the Avatar. That evening he had kept his promise and had not gone to see her despite his desire. Asami had been dressed in a black and red dress, as usual and as usual she had attracted all eyes because she was beautiful. He remembered the slight jealousy that had invaded him when he saw her discussing with a young man from the council and dancing with him. Soon after, Asami was no longer seen while the man she was speaking with was still present. So they didn’t go home together, he told himself. Even though he knew that in reality he didn’t really have anything to say about it.

“She sent a team but you can get there faster.”

Natsu nodded then gave his tray to Tenzin to go change. He briefly wondered why Lin called him about a break-in. It was the kind of crime he used to deal with when he first came to Republic City. But since Amon and just after the Red Lotus, Lin only called him for this type of problem. He dressed quickly, if she had called him it was because it must have something to do with the Red Lotus.

Using his glider, he quickly arrived in front of the main factory of Future Industries. At a glance he saw that the police had not yet arrived. He returned to the factory, still flying to go faster. Behind the carcasses of Satomobiles, he found Asami Sato in person, with two employees and…

The bodies of three people lying on the ground.

Natsu landed softly beside them causing them to jump. Asami raised her hand that held an electrifying glove, which her father had built for Amon and his followers, in defense. It only took a few moments for Natsu to figure out what must have happened here. The heiress who, as the waiter had learned from speaking with her, had taken self-defense lessons and had managed to stop intruders as evidenced by the unconscious bodies before his eyes.

“Avatar…” one of the employees greeted him with a smile.

“You arrived after the battle,” Asami continued, crossing her arms.

Ah.

Still the same enthusiasm from Asami towards the Avatar.

The hero saw her two employees move with discomfort out of the corner of his eye. They seemed visibly uncomfortable with the welcome their boss had given the Avatar. Asami realized this and nodded at him to make him understand that he had to follow her so they could talk.

“Watch them,” Asami ordered her employees, then walked away to the door that led outside.

Without arguing Natsu followed her.

“Why are you here?”

“Seems obvious to me,” Natsu retorted.

“So, now the Avatar is dealing with a simple heist? Don’t you have more important things to do?”

In reality Natsu quite agreed with Asami, he could just let the police take care of this. He still wondered why Lin had sent him here.

Maybe because it was Asami.

Lin knew that the two of them knew each other and she seemed to care about Asami herself. Seen in this light, it was understandable enough that she informed him of the attempted break-in. However, Lin was not aware that Asami and the Avatar did not get along as well as Natsu and Asami.

“Besides, like I said everything's under control. We didn’t need you here,” Asami continued vigorously.

Adrenaline was still flowing furiously through her veins, her fight with the three intruders having ended a few minutes earlier. She felt powerful and still wanted to fight. She wanted to face the Avatar, especially since she still had in mind that the Avatar had ignored her at the President’s party. Part of her wanted revenge and she wanted it now.

“Asami…” Natsu sighed, he didn’t want to mess with the young woman again.

“What?”

The Avatar wanted to run his hand over his face then remembered the presence of his mask.

“I was worried okay,” he replied, unwittingly pointing at the glove in Asami’s hand.

The latter realized it and her brow furrowed.

“Worried that I would become like my father, right? Don’t worry, these weren’t masters, okay,” she explained.

“What? No, not at all!” Natsu snarled.

“So what? Huh? Why has the All Mighty Avatar come here tonight?” Asami asked firmly.

“Because I care about you, okay!” He exclaimed forcibly, his filter seeming to have disappeared with his hours of lack of sleep.

The both of them froze at the Avatar’s confession. They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, then the police sirens sounded. This brought Natsu out of his trance, without waiting for an answer he flew away from the factory, away from Asami.

Natsu curses Lin and her foresight. He wanted to forget the last ten minutes. If he had decided not to talk to Asami aymore it was to avoid this kind of mishap.

Despite his urge to melt into bed and not get up, Natsu returned to the restaurant to work, still cursing himself every second for talking too much.

Asami on the other hand, blocked the words of the Avatar in a corner of her head to stop thinking about it. She joined the police, including Lin and Mako who had entered her factory. She briefly explained to them what had happened, the two employees who had witnessed the whole scene confirmed her statements. The heiress saw with satisfaction the impressed look of Mako and his colleague and the proud wink of Lin.

However, when she was home alone again, in her mansion the words of the Avatar came back to hit her like a tsunami.

Because I care about you.

Despite her irritation and surprise, Asami had to admit that this explained a lot. This explained why the Avatar seemed to revolve around her from the start. This explained why he had come to see her at the hospital. She should feel flattered: she had unintentionally charmed the Avatar. Many people in Republic City dreamed of it and would be jealous of such attention. But she didn’t care, that feeling in her lower abdomen was just a normal reaction. She enjoyed feeling that she was wanted, nothing more…

Asami tried to stick to this explanation. Indeed for her part she was certainly not attracted to the Avatar. She was attracted to Natsu, she had feelings for Natsu! She was going to kiss Natsu soon!

It was everything she had ever wanted since the first time she had laid eyes on the waiter.

It was with this idea that she set out to visit Natsu the next evening in Pema’s restaurant. Seeing her the waiter clenched his jaw but he wasn’t so surprised to see her arrive. Opal had informed Natsu that Asami had come back to the restaurant twice to see him, but each time he had been outside hunting the Red Lotus. Speaking of these terrorists the radio was playing a reminder of their latest attack which claimed the lives of two people. It further encouraged him in his idea of getting away from Asami as quickly as possible.

“Hi!” The heiress greeted him, approaching him, smiling.

Natsu gave her a tight smile and the young woman noticed.

“Is everything okay?”

The waiter sighed, he glanced around before returning his attention to Asami.

“Follow me.”

Frowning slightly, Asami followed him silently. Natsu led her to the back of the restaurant behind a screen which gave them some privacy to talk. Asami opened her mouth to talk but the young man was faster.

“Look Asami, I’m going to be honest with you. I don’t think we should be seeing each other anymore,” he said clearly, preferring not to beat around the bush any longer.

“Wh-What?”

Asami’s eyes were bulging from shock. Coming to see Natsu was not at all what she had expected.

“But why? What did I do?” She asked hastily.

Natsu had suspected that she would want an explanation, but he preferred not to give it to her. He didn’t want to betray himself as the Avatar and ultimately he almost preferred that Asami resented him, it would keep her away.

“Nothing, it’s not you, but…”

“Is it because of the last time? Is it because of the kiss the last time I was here?” She cut him off.

Their relationship had never been clearly established between them, Asami had quickly wanted more than friendship but maybe Natsu hadn’t understood it that way and he was panicking because of it.

“No! No! It’s not that.”

He could see Asami’s distraught look and his first instinct was to console her but he changed his mind at the last moment. He had to get Asami away from him. Not only for Asami and his Avatar duties, but also for him, he was going crazy around Asami to assume two identities. The young woman would be furious if she found out that he was actually the Avatar and on top of that she was in danger by continuing to be by his side. According to their last and only information, the Red Lotus was after him. If they found out how important the heiress is to him they would be quite capable of using her against him.

Asami deserved much better than him.

“You deserve better than me,” he admitted despite everything.

“That’s rubbish!” The young woman snapped.

“I know that… trust me,” he huffed, shaking his head. “It’s over, Asami.”

Something should already have been done, the heiress said to herself, gritting her teeth.

“Look, if you want to keep coming here it’s your choice, but I won’t serve you anymore. I’m sorry but it’s better this way.”

Asami’s silence was scary, almost as much as her eyes and her closed face.

“Goodbye, Asami,” Natsu stammered before leaving.

The waiter walked to the kitchen for a meal and then returned to the room to work. He hoped he wouldn’t have to speak in a few minutes, his throat was so tight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Asami walk out of the restaurant without looking behind.

The latter returned to her main, she managed to hold on to her tear by the time she got to her room then she collapsed on her bed. She sincerely thought that by visiting Natsu today they were going to kiss. Instead, Natsu had more or less broken up with her. No one had ever broken up with her before! It always came from her initiative or as with Mako, by mutual agreement. There, for once she felt abandoned, completely abandoned. She had put so much hope in Natsu. She felt so good with him, never had she felt such a connection with someone like Natsu before. She should’ve insisted! Fought more. But she saw the determined look of the waiter again and sighed. Natsu had seemed so sure of himself.

Maybe she could ask Opal for more information, she thought to herself as she clung to that slim hope.

The following days were hectic for her, she plunged in to work to forget Natsu however, her subconscious had other plans for her. She relived Natsu’s rejection over and over again, but on top of that she dreamed of the Avatar. In her nights the Avatar consoled her, he often hugged her to make her feel better. And with every dream it worked. And every morning Asami immersed herself more in her work to avoid having to think about the Avatar and Natsu.

Finally, she decided to return to the restaurant and as he had announced, Natsu did not take care of her. It was Opal who approached her, smiling gently. Asami realized that she didn’t want to stay in the room as Natsu avoided her. She therefore suggested to the waitress go out for a drink with her when she had time. Opal gladly accepted. Unfortunately, she couldn’t learn more about the reasons for Natsu’s rejection. That didn’t stop her from having a good time with Opal, although it wasn’t quite the same.

Opal was not Natsu.


	10. Chapter 10

The radio was on in Asami’s office. It was becoming more and more frequently lately, as if to occupy her thoughts so as not to have to think of Natsu. The radio couldn’t stop her from thinking of the Avatar, the hero was their favorite subject.

As then, a reporter, who looked more like a commentator, was relaying live the Avatar’s fight against the members of the Red Lotus gang.

Asami was intrigued by what was going on.

“He avoids the man’s attack but the Water Tribe woman takes the opportunity to… Damn… The Avatar is in bad shape folks. I had never seen him back down so much, and he’s on the ground folks! The Lavabender takes the opportunity to throw a huge boulder and then lava at him, the Avatar has trouble defending himself against the Lavabender and… Oh no, an explosion… That. It looks like a Firebender woman has joined the fight…”

Asami’s heart was beating like never before in her chest. If she had been paying attention to her body, she might have been worried that the organ would come out of her chest, but all her attention was on the reporter’s voice and words. She understood that the Avatar had harder work to do than her. Suddenly, she felt her limbs freeze in fear. The Avatar had become a constant in her life in recent years. Regardless of her complex feelings towards him, she wondered what she was going to do if he was no longer there. What was Republic City going to do? Could the city wait for another Avatar?

“My friends, I’m afraid. I’m afraid to tell you folks, but this may be the end of the Fire Nation Avatar. He’s not getting up and…”

  
  


Asami stood up hearing the reporter’s words.

“Wait, Hang on folks! The man just got hit by… Yes! YES! Chief Beifong is here to aid the Avatar!”

The heiress felt a wave of hope surge over her.

“And she didn’t come alone folks, the whole police force is there. They seem to realize it because the three terrorists run away without a fight leaving the main leader to fend for himself against the rest of the police force. The Chief hugs the Avatar. He still isn’t moving and it’s impossible to tell from where I am if he’s just unconscious of ir…”

Without waiting any longer, Asami turned the radio off. She didn’t need to know more. Lin had arrived on the scene and the terrorists were gone. During the next few hours the radio would loop the latest news. She sighed in relief and then suddenly felt tired. All the tension she had built up during the fight the Avatar was justin fell on her shoulders. She went to shower and then lay down. Sleep was difficult to come for her, she relived the ceaseless fight of the Avatar and when she managed to fall asleep she witnessed the scene in her dreams.

The next day, going to work, she took the time to buy the newspaper. Unsurprisingly, the first page was a photo of the unconscious Avatar in Lin’s arms.

The photo was superb.

The title suited him perfectly, unfortunately.

**The Fall of the Avatar.**

Asami spent a few moments looking at him before deciding to read. Her eyes flew quickly until they found the information. The avatar was not dead, he left the health center in the morning.

**The Fall of the Avatar.**

It was indeed the first major failure of the hero of Republic City. The press weren’t exactly kind to him and even Asami found them harsh. But the heiress kept the journal without really knowing why.

**XXX**

Asami hadn’t been able to do anything.

Without any control, without her electrifying glove and with a fatigue that she had dragged for almost a month, her capture had been easy. She pulled on her chains again, but they were platinum and held on to her tight. Her shoulders were starting to hurt from being tied up with her arms in the air. She was in some kind of cave and once again she wished she was capable of Earthbending for once. She suspected that if she were able to master earth she wouldn’t have been locked up here.

Her captors, unlike the first, had not spoken to her. She had recognized the armless woman of the Water Tribe and understood that she was being held captive by the Red Lotus.

For hours.

Or at least that was the impression she had.

A bald man came to meet her a long time later. Without having to speak, Asami understood that she was in the presence of the leader of the Red Lotus. There was such strength and confidence in him that it was obvious. He didn’t bother to introduce himself and she didn’t even dare ask him. She knew this man was Zaheer, the Airbender, the Ancient Avatar had already faced three decades earlier. Asami couldn’t seem to give him an age but if had managed to stand up to the previous Avatar in his youth, he had to be even more powerful now.

Zaheer sat down in front of her and looked at her intently.

Asami tried not to move under the man’s inquiring gaze.

“What do you want from me?” she finally asked, when the silence became unbearable.

“From you? Nothing? Your role is over,” he explained calmly.

The prisoner frowned in incomprehension.

“I don’t understand,” she confessed.

Zaheer smiled at her and if she hadn’t been changed in a cave she might have found that sympathetic smile.

“Yes it is obvious. You are just the bait.”

Seeing Asami’s still stunned look, Zaheer continued.

“Bait for the Avatar. It seems like he is attracted to you, I can understand him. You are a beautiful young woman who has made a success of her life. Don’t worry, if you stay in your role now harm will befall you and you can go back and live your life,” he told her, still calmly.

Asami didn’t answer this time. She wanted to tell Zaheer he was wrong, but a phrase echoed in her head.

Because I care about you.

So there was a good chance that the Avatar would come to her rescue. The Avatar hadn’t been seen since his last encounter with members of the Red Lotus. The three members who were now facing her. Zaheer got up and walked over to the woman who had a tattoo on her forehead. They spoke in low voices and even from where she was standing Asami could see that she and Zaheer were close. The leader of the Red Lotus gently took her hand and dragged her away, leaving Asami in the company of the man who knew how to Lavabend and the woman without arms who was a master Waterbender.

Zaheer was right and Asami wasn’t surprised. The Avatar arrived with loss and crash soon after. He walked through the cave roof unceremoniously. He barely had time to touch the ground when his two adversaries already threw themselves at him. The Avatar dodged their attacks for a few moments then his gaze met hers, at least she imagined it because he was still wearing his white mask, suddenly a burning boulder that came from the hero came at her at a maddening speed. His speed allowed rock to break the chain that held her left arm.

This simple moment was enough for the Avatar’s attackers to bring him down.

Asami felt her breath leave her lungs but the Avatar quickly got to his feet. The heiress felt as if she was reliving the fight she had heard on the radio more than a week earlier. However, the Avatar seemed to better manage the confrontation for the moment. However, the Avatar found himself on the ground again when he sent a second boulder towards her which freed Asami’s other arm.

Without waiting Asami began to work on the chains that held her ankle, with her hands free and a hairpin she thought it was only a matter of time before she could get free from her bindings.

She was wrong.

She tried every way she knew but nothing helped. She was still firmly attached.

The Avatar seemed to realize that, unfortunately that was the moment Zaheer chose to appear. The flaming boulder rushed in to sever the last two chains that held Asami together as a needle struck the Avatar’s neck.

The hero let out a cry a few seconds later. It was a cry of agony and Asami forgot to remove her chain as she was taken aback by the scene unfolding before her eyes.

Zaheer and his companions watched the Avatar who had just fallen to his knees.

“Wh-what did you inject me with?” He gasped in pain while asking.

“A poison that will bring you into the Avatar State… Once you are in the Avatar State, we will end you,” he explained, as if telling him about the weather.

“But…”

Asami felt her eyes shine. She understood just as well as the Avatar.

“If I die while…”

“In the Avatar State, there will be the end of the Avatar cycle. That is the goal my boy.”

“NO!”

It wasn’t until all eyes turned to her that Asami realized that it was she who screamed. Zaheer met her gaze then sighed.

“Ghazan will prepare the sequel. Ming-Hua, take care of our other guest,” he said, pointing vaguely at her.

“With pleasure,” she replied, turning to the prisoner.

The Avatar, who was still on the ground, threw a block of dirt at Ming-Hua. The latter turned around in surprise and suddenly the Avatar stood up.

“Don’t Even. Think. About. Touching Her,” he growled.

Ghazan attacked without delay, but the hero was ready. Ming-Hua and Zaheer joined in the fight. Asami could see that the Avatar was having a hard enough time fighting because of the poison that was now flowing through his veins.

“Don’t kill him! Now is not the time!” Exclaimed the leader.

But the Avatar had an advantage. They didn’t want dead until he was in the Avatar State.

“He won’t be able to last long, remember he’s not only fighting us but he’s fighting the poison as well,” he explained, dodging another attack.

The Avatar managed to incapacitate Ming-Hua for a few minutes but it was obvious that each second was more painful than the last. Asami who had managed to free herself wanted to help but didn’t know what to do with so much power being demonstrated from the masters.

As all hope seemed to fly as time passed, cables fell from the hole the Avatar had made to enter.

A moment later, Chief Beifong, Mako, Tenzin - What were THEY DOING here? Asami wondered with surprise - Bolin - and what was he doing here too? - as well as a Water Tribe woman, whom Asami coils swear she had already SEEN at Pema’s restaurant, hurried down.

The fight began without any other form of politeness. The arrival of reinforcements restored balm to the heart of the Avatar who threw himself on Zaheer without delay while Ghazan was also back.

The Avatar and Zaheer clashed relentlessly and their fight gradually led them out of reach of others. Asami wasn’t the only one who realized it but the others were all caught up in their own clashes to do anything. Fortunately, the numbers quickly became an advantage and the three terrorists were subdued, if not worse.

“Quick, we have to help him,” Lin began, running over to where the Avatar had disappeared with Zaheer.

As she and Tenzin ran towards the indicated location, a loud explosion was heard followed by an earthquake. Suddenly the Avatar’s body was thrown through the wall before falling violently to the ground.

Asami, who was closest, was the first to come to the still Avatar. She realized that his traditional white mask was broken, revealing his face.

The air trapped in Asami’s throat as her heart stopped.

This face, she knew it.

It was Natsu.

The Avatar was Natsu.

Natsu was the Avatar.

Asami dropped to the ground in front of him.

Of course.

Of course it was Natsu.

How had she not realized this sooner?

They were the same height, the same hair. The same arms that made her fantasize.

The Avatar had told her that he cared about her.

Natsu cared about her. It was for that. She had told Natsu that she despised the Avatar and the next time the Avatar paid her attention and the Natsu ditched her.

It all made sense now.

And it was all so confusing, the person she thought she hated and the one she thought she loved was the same person.

“Natsu!”

Asami looked up at Mako who was by her side and the gravity of the situation came back to her face.

If there was one thing she knew it was that she didn’t want him to die.

Mako gently shook Natsu to wake him up but the young man remained unconscious. The Water Tribe woman arrived the next second, she ran her hands over Natsu’s body before standing up.

“Quick, we have to get him out of here.”

Without waiting Mako leaned down to get Natsu in an upright position so he could lean on Mako and then followed the other woman. Asami stood up to follow them, although no one had spoken to her yet. She met Bolin’s gaze as Lin and Tenzin arrived to meet Mako. Bolin gave her a quiet smile and then carried her in a hug that was unexpected as it was comforting and amazing, Asami managed to return it.

Once the young man moved away from her, Asami felt a hand on her shoulder. She saw Lin looking at her gravely.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Asami nodded, not knowing what to say. Fortunately, Lin took care of the situation. She put a strong arm around Asami’s waist then raised her other arm and suddenly the two women were pulled up by cable hanging from the ceiling. Asami then found herself in an airship that belonged to the Republic City Police Department. Lin let her go and led her into a room with armchairs.

“Sit down. We won’t be arriving in Republic City for half an hour,” she explained before stepping back.

Still reeling from her capture, the Avatar’s identity and his poisoning, Asami sat down in silence.

Mako came to meet her a few minutes later.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” she confessed.

The young man seemed to hesitate then he gently put his arm around Asami’s shoulder and Asami fell against him crying. She was crying in fear, in frustration, in anger. She was crying because of Natsu. She was angry with him for lying to her, she was angry with herself for not realizing the deception. She was crying because she was afraid that Natsu would die. She was afraid of never seeing him again.

What was Republic City going to do without the Avatar? What was the world going to do without the Avatar? What was Pema going to do without her star waiter? What was Opal going to do without her best friend?

What was she going to do without Natsu?

When they got to Republic City her cheeks were still wet from crying but the tears had stopped. Mako walked her home, still in silence.

“You… You can’t tell anyone what you saw. You can’t tell them who the Avatar really is.”

Asami gritted her teeth. She suddenly remembered why she and Mako weren’t together anymore. It was the kind of thinking that showed he thought too much about his job without considering other people’s feelings. How could he think for one second that she would divulge a secret as big as this?

“Of course,” she replied, her jaw clenched.

Anyway, she still had to betray this information for him.

Relieved, Mako nodded then turned to leave. Asami wanted to yell at him, she wanted him to bring her back to Natsu. She wanted to know if he was going to be okay. If he was going to get away with it, if someone had managed to get the poison out of him… But that was out of place.

Mako left her alone in her mansion once again.


	11. Chapter 11

“... Don’t know what to do anymore…”

Natsu opened his eyes painfully upon hearing Kya’s voice.

“... If my mother had been here…”

By the time his eyes got used to the light, he saw that not far from him was Kya with her back and Lin facing him.

“... She would have known what to do. I’m not as good as her and now…”

“Hey, hey. Don’t say that. The poison did as much damage as their fight,” Lin replied, putting her hands on Kya’s shoulders.

Natsu’s eyes lit up when he heard Lin’s voice. He had never heard her speak so sweetly. So he turned his attention to the two women who were looking at each other, he could see that Lin’s gaze was firmly fixed on Kya’s. She then moved her hands up to the other woman’s cheeks and her thumb seemed to be chasing tears.

“You are very good, Kya. Now it’s up to the kid to do the res. Even your mother couldn’t do such a miracle, she wouldn’t have done anything more. I’m sure.” She continued - her voice so soft.

Natsu saw Kya nod, the next second Lin leaned over to Kya to rest her lips tenderly against her and Natsu’s mouth fell open in surprise.

Lin and Kya?

Lin Beifong? The unbreakable Police Chief, who could frighten anyone with just a look.

With Kya? Kya, the sweet and beautiful Kya. Kya, who was like his crazy aunt.

Lin and Kya?

Together?

He knew they were close, but not so close. Especially since Lin had an affair with Tenzin in their youth!

Without suspecting the attention they were receiving from Natsu, the two women broke away.

“I love you,” Lin whispered, but in the silence of the room, Natsu heard it distinctly.

Kya repeated these words to her with so much love then slipped into the arms of the other woman. Natsu closed his eyes at their hug, which felt much more intimate than any kiss. He therefore left them this moment by remaining silent and motionless in bed.

Besides, why was he in a bed that clearly wasn’t his?

Suddenly the vision of Zaheer and Asami came back to him. He jumped and wanted to sit up but his body prevented him from doing so and she groaned in pain.

“Natsu?”

The latter opened his eyes and saw Kya’s worried look above him, Lin was not far behind but looked at him calmly. She had regained her usual attitude, far from the gentleness she had felt for Kya a few moments ago. However, he could see the slight smile that adorned her lips when their eyes met.

“Zaheer! Asami!” Natsu exclaimed, and got up in the process

“Calm down,” Kya told him, putting her hand on his shoulder to make him lie back down. “Zaheer and his companions are no longer a problem…”

“Asami is fine too. A little shocked but she’s back home in one piece,” Lin completed.

Natsu nodded then collapsed back onto his bed. Kya quietly tucked him in as Lin slipped away to get Tenzin.

“Senna and Tonraq are on their way as well,” the healer told him.

“How long was I knocked out?” Natsu asked, wincing when the older woman touched his lower back.

“A little over a day. The poison had to be removed from your body. Lin took care of it.”

“Lin?” Natsu wondered.

“It was mercury,” she explained. “But now that you’re awake you’ll be fine. Tell me where it hurts.”

All over.

Now that he had started to move he realized that he was in pain all over. He felt as if a herd of flying bison had fallen on him. Besides, he was almost sure that he wasn’t able to bend any of the elements at the moment. He felt so drained. Natsu fell asleep before he could see Lin again who was back with Tenzin.

**XXX**

Two weeks went by without Asami hearing any news from Natsu or the Avatar. The day after the battle against Zaheer, the Republic City newspaper had made a big article about their confrontation and then the imprisonment of the Avatar by the members of the Red Lotus. A day later the newspaper claimed that the Avatar was recovering from his injuries, without any further information. She had heard rumors that he had returned to the South Pole but otherwise nothing.

It was two weeks that Asami had thought through the whole situation with Natsu and the Avatar. And now she wanted to understand and hear Natsu’s explanation. Especially, why Natsu had walked away towards the end. Did he feel guilty for lying to her? Did he remember how she told Natsu about the Avatar? Why did he think that she deserved someone better? Was it true? Or did he just want to get rid of her?

Ultimately, Natsu and the Avatar, the two men who had occupied her mind and dreams lately, were in fact the same person.

After careful consideration, Asami decided to go see Lin for more information. So she went to the police station, it was strangely calm that day. She made it to the chief’s office safely.

“Come in,” she heard after knocking.

Lin greeted her with slight astonishment.

“Asami, what can I do for you?” she asked.

“I’d like to know if you heard from Natsu.”

Lin looked around her, wincing.

“I can’t talk about it here,” she explained, taking her by the shoulder to walk her out. “I will come to your place tonight if you are free.”

The heiress nodded before leaving as quickly as she had arrived. As promised, Lin came to her house in the late afternoon. Asami, who had given the rest of their day to her employees, invited her for a cup of tea.

“So, have you heard from Natsu?

“You realize that what I’m going to tell you stays between us,” Lin replied, looking her intently in the eyes.

Asami nodded seriously.

“He went back to the South Pole with the White Lotus guards. He was quite damaged after the fight, and isn’t able to use his Bending at the moment, but it’s been better these days,” she explained.

A sigh of relief escaped Asami. Beside her, Lin smiled imperceptibly before taking a sip of her tea.

“So, you were the one training Natsu? In Metalbending.

“Effectively.”

Lin looked at her for a moment before resuming.

“Did you know him from what I understand?”

“Yes, I had a few encounters with him as the Avatar but I mostly knew him as Natsu,” Asami explained.

The heiress turned to Lin who was looking at her kindly and decided to continue talking.

“I got along well with Natsu, very well even. It was with the Avatar that I had more trouble. Actually…”

Asami sighed heavily as she thought about the way she had treated Natsu when he had the White Mask on.

“I wasn’t very gentle with him and now I blame myself. I want to apologize to her,” she continued looking at her hands.

“Why?”

“I want… I don’t want him to think I’m on his side for anything. I... I was mad at him for the wrong reasons. Just like my dad actually. I was blaming him for something that he wasn’t responsible for,” she still hissed without meeting Lin’s gaze.

The other woman’s hand rested on her shoulder causing her to turn to her.

“If you explain it to him, I’m sure he will understand. The kid’s more open minded than you think.” she assured her.

A slight smile appeared on the lips of the heiress. Lin’s presence by her side was heartwarming after her last days of mugging all on her own. She hadn’t dared to go to Pema’s restaurant to see Opal or Tenzin.

Suddenly she realized she was hungry.

“Do you want to stay for dinner?”

Lin raised an eyebrow and Asami felt herself blush.

“I mean… You want…”

The other was about to answer but Asami was faster.

“I’m sorry, there must be someone waiting for you at your house,” she stammered.

“She’s at the South Pole with Natsu,” Lin replied with a mischievous smile at Asami discomfort. “Her name is Kya, she healed Natsu and she was there during the battle against the Red Lotus.”

The woman of the Southern Water Tribe, Asami recalled.

“I remember that. I saw her before at Pema’s restaurant too.”

A slight red tint appeared on Lin’s cheeks much to Asami’s amazement.

“Yes, she is Tenzin’s sister.”

Asami’s eyes lit up, remembering that Lin and Tenzin were in a relationship a long time ago, long before she was born.

“I see,” she replied soberly, trying to hide her mocking smile. “Is she there to help Natsu?”

“Yes, she and her mother are the best healers I know. He is in good hands. Believe me,” she said confidently.

Asami nodded, thinking that she would like to officially meet Kya, the woman who seemed to have taken the heart of the intractable Lin Beifong.

“So, I can stay and eat with you if you want.”

The heiress nodded, smiling, then led her to her kitchen for their meal. Her chef was cooking way too much for her to eat alone and Lin’s presence wouldn’t be a problem for that. So they ate together and Lin even stayed in the evening to play Pai sho. Asami seemed to have finally found someone on her level.

“It’s getting late, you can stay and sleep here if you want,” Asami offered after another game.

Lin looked at her for a moment then understood the other woman’s intentions.

She felt alone.

The police chief therefore gladly accepted the invitation, knowing that Asami had many rooms to offer her. Lin found herself in a beautiful room which had its own bathroom. The older woman had to admit that living in this mansion had certain advantages.

Waking up early the next day she was surprised to find breakfast already waiting for her and she wondered when Asami had warned her employees. The heiress joined her about ten minutes later and they ate lunch in comfortable silence.

“Thanks for staying and eating for the night,” Asami said before she left.

“I appreciate our time together Asami, I would love to do this again.”

The smile Asami gave her assured Lin that she had said the right thing, especially since it was sincere. She liked to spend time with the other woman who had a rare intelligence but who also knew how to respect silence. Lin sympathized with Asami, she was in a good position to know that her life had not been easy. A powerful protective instinct had taken hold of her at one point. To never leave her.

Lin thus kept her promise the following weeks, the two women met a few times to eat and the police chief even undertook to teach Asami some fighting techniques. Part of her wanted to pass on some of her skills and knowledge to the young woman.


	12. Chapter 12

The days passed until finally the front page of the newspaper caught Asami’s attention.

**The collision between the two trains, avoided by the Avatar.**

The article was brief, explaining how the hero managed to save hundreds of people from a collision between a passenger train and a freight train. Nothing too exciting, the essentials were there.

**The Avatar was back.**

However, she hesitated a long week before going to see Natsu with her own eyes at Pema’s restaurant. She stood on the sidewalk opposite for almost ten minutes, then she finally decided to cross the street and open the door.

As soon as she entered the restaurant her eyes met Natsu’s.

Natsu should have known that he was going to see Asami again at some point. Mako had told him that the heiress had seen him without his mask. Her presence in front of him was therefore not really a surprise. Asami was on the doorstep staring at him intently and Natsu couldn’t do it.

Opal suddenly touched his arm, Natsu almost jumped not expecting such an intrusion into his personal space. He hid his blush, wondering how long he and Asami had been looking at each other like this.

Setting down his tray, Natsu motioned for the young woman to follow him. Silently, Asami walked beside him and Natsu led her from the back of the restaurant to his own room. He knew they were going to have a conversation that didn’t belong in the restaurant where anyone could hear them.

The door closed behind the two of them who were still standing in silence. Suddenly, Asami approached Natsu who paused, wondering what was going to happen when the heiress took him firmly in her arms. Natsu froze in surprise, of all the reactions he had envisioned from the young woman this one most certainly wasn’t one of them.

Slowly he closed his arms around Asami’s body. The embrace lasted for a moment, but enough for Natsu to take in the flowery scent of Asami’s hair, the warmth of Asami’s perfect body against his own, and the breath escaping Asami’s lips against his neck.

“I was so worried,” the heiress whispered, pulling away from him.

“Really?” Natsu asked in surprise.

“Of course, the last time I saw you, you were…”

Asami closed her eyes, remembering the sight of Natsu unconscious in Kya’s arms. Natsu winced then motioned for the young woman to sit next to him on the bed before continuing the conversation. However, neither of them seemed to want to start talking and they were silent for a long period of time.

Finally, Natsu encouraged himself and turned to Asami who was playing with her hands.

“I suppose you want to talk about what happened?”

Asaim gasped when she heard Natsu’s voice as she had grown accustomed to the silence.

“Yes.”

Despite everything, another silence settled again. Asami had been hoping for this conversation for several weeks and now she couldn’t speak. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to remember what she had planned to say to him.

“Did you come to blame me for lying to you?” Natsu asked tensely.

Asami turned to him to finally meet his gaze.

“No, not at all. I… I understand why you didn’t tell me. I mean… it’s a secret identity and even though we were close, I didn’t really make you confident enough to tell me that…”

“Yeah,” he huffed.

“I… I’m sorry, I spoke badly to you when you were the Avatar. I… I didn’t think it was you,” she explained looking away.

“Does that mean if I hadn’t been the Avatar, you would have been allowed to be so rude to him?” Natsu asked with a frown, trying to understand the young woman.

“No,” she replied calmly.

Asami sighed, finally remembering everything she had planned to say to Natsu. She took a deep breath before launching into her explanation with vague eyes.

“I… I was angry. It was misplaced anger. When I was little my mother would often talk to me about how the Avatar and how important they were to the world, she would tell me that he was going to save all of us if anything bad were to happen. I wanted so badly to meet the Avatar, but he was gone. Everyone was looking forward to the new Avatar. And when my mother was killed…”

Asami’s voice cracked and Natsu had the sudden urge to take her hand, she had never told him about her mother before and he could see that it was difficult for her. But he restrained himself, preferring not to interrupt the woman.

“I felt betrayed. I wondered for months why the Avatar hadn’t come. I was so angry at the Avatar, Natsu, if you knew.”

Asami turned to Natsu to look him in the eyes.

“Why didn’t the Avatar who was to save the world, come to save my mother from mere Firebenders?” The heiress asked with shining eyes.

Natsu felt his throat tighten at the emotion and pain in the woman’s gaze. Guilt took hold of him almost immediately.

“I… I got stuck in this idea. My father put all his hatred towards the masters back then, and I did more or less the same thing to you,” Asami continued. “And when you arrived… It was even harder because you were here. You were real. Everyday, the press was talking about the Avatar who saved a trader or anyone else. The avatar was saving so many people for far less than the murder of my mother and…”

Asami felt a few tears escape her eyes as she remembered the distress she had been in.

“I only saw the evil that I wanted to see. I saw you as arrogant because I wanted to have a reason to hate you because a part of me was happy that you were here in Republic City. At first seeing you reminded me of the stories my mother told me growing up and I wanted to bury that part deep inside me. I was so confused and it was easy to blame you for it.”

Natsu nodded softly, trying to understand Asami’s state of mind.

“The story with my father didn’t help me either.”

“I’m sorry about you father.”

“You had nothing to do with it Natsu. Neither you nor I. We only did what was right.”

The Avatar knew it, but after hearing about her mother he was a bit angry for taking her father away from her.

“I’m sorry Natsu, for the way I treated you when you were the Avatar. I was wrong, you were only doing your duty. In fact, I think, I’m more like my father than I make myself out to be, more than I thought so, more than I wanted to be. I don’t think I had mourned my mum yet, either. We both got stuck in our anger, wo we didn’t have to do more painful work and admit to ourselves that she’s really gone, for good this time. It was much easier for us to put the blame on other people. And somewhere, deep down inside I knew it, I was so afraid to become like him, I projected my worries onto you, I thought that if was also what you believed: that I would become like jim. I believed that every thought I was going to become like him. In the end it was you who helped me. You as Natsu but also as the Avatar. For that I am grateful to you.”

Natsu opened his mouth to speak, but was speechless, he hadn’t expected the conversation to turn out like this at all.

“Don’t thank me too quickly. Because of me, you almost died,” he replied.

“What?” Asami wondered.

“If we hadn’t been friends, the Red Lotus wouldn't have targeted you.”

“You came to my rescue Natsu, you save me many times,” Asami replied, wanting to reassure Natsu.

The heiress could see in the young man’s gaze that he didn’t believe her. She briefly wondered why the conversation had changed, she had come to apologize to Natsu for her attitude and now the young man was blaming himself for something he had no control or responsibility for.

“Part of the reason why I can’t be friends with you Asami, it’s too dangerous.”

Natsu didn’t believe her but besides she didn’t listen to him.

“You almost died Natsu! You almost died to save me that day! It matters.”

Natsu didn’t seem to agree with that, however.

“It’s too dangerous, there will always be someone.”

Suddenly he stood up and Asami followed suit.

“You should go,” Natsu announced.

The hero reached for the doorknob to exit but Asami was faster. She put her hand firmly on the man’s shoulder and turned him around. Their eyes met and Asami didn’t hesitate anymore, she was seeing Natsu run away again, she had to do something. She approached him, leaving only a few inches between them.

“No, Natsu, please,” she whispered.

Their lips were close but Asami stopped, she wanted Natsu to take the last step. Their faces were too close for her to see the conflict behind Natsu’s eyes but finally he relented. Natsu brushed Asami’s lips before binding them tightly. Asami ran her hands through Natsu’s hair to deepen the kiss she had longed for. Natsu meanwhile wrapped his arms around the heiress’s waist as he slid his tongue into her mouth. The kiss lasted for a couple of minutes and Natsu ended up more or less pressed to his door when a knock on the door interrupted them.

The latter quickly pulled away from Asami, out of breath.

“Hey, Natsu! I’m sorry to bother you but I need help,” Opal said from behind the door.

Asami opened her mouth to speak but Natsu left his room the next second.

“Natsu? Are you okay?” Opal asked worriedly seeing her friend’s troubled look.

“Yeah, yeah, just fine, let's head back to work,” he replied without turning around.

Opal frowned but followed him without insisting. The room was almost full of customers and she didn’t have time to speak with Natsu, yet.

Meanwhile, Asami was still planted in Natsu’s room. She was going over the last few minutes she had just lived, from the joy of their kiss to the worry of Natsu’s flight. It wasn’t the first time the young man had acted like this and she wasn;t sure what to make of it.

After a few minutes she decided to leave Natsu’s room, suspecting that he wasn’t going to come back right away. She found the object of her thoughts serving an elderly couple. Natsu seemed to avoid her gaze. Sighing, Asami went home. She had come to talk to Natsu, now it was up to the hero to take the next step.

During the day that followed, Asami couldn’t help but think about the kiss she had shared with Natsu. A person couldn’t kiss her like they did if they weren’t attracted to her. She had felt Natsu’s hands on her back, she had heard the man soft sighs. Yet despite all the good feelings, she could not take the panicked look of the waiter from her head when Opal had interrupted them.

Finally, it was at the end of the evening that she heard the noise of footsteps she was watching on her balcony then a light knock on the window.

Without waiting, Asami opened the glass door to find Natsu, in his Avatar gard. However, he took off his mask and put it on her desk before facing her. Natsu wrung his hands for a few moments before speaking.

“I… I’m sorry about yesterday.”

Asami frowned but Natsu spoke immediately.

“I mean, when I ran away. It was… It sucked on my part.”

The heiress nodded, heart pounding, she wanted to offer Natsu to continue the conversation on the couch in her office but the man began to speak.

“Look Asami, you… I like you very much. I mean…” he started gesturing at her to emphasize good physique. “You are so beautiful, you are surely the most beautiful person that I will ever have the chance to meet. But you are so much more than that. You are determined, passionate, intelligent, you have a sense of humor that…”

Natsu stopped abruptly.

“What I mean is that even if by some miracle you forgave me for my lies, your father and all… we still couldn’t be together.”

Asami who had been silent until now decided to intervene.

“What? But why?”

“You saw what happened! You were kidnapped because of me.”

Asami’s jaw tightened upon remembering that the young man had already shared his concerns with her.

“Natsu…” she sighed.

“No, Asami. They targeted you because of me, they saw how much I care for you. Imagine if… If…”

Natsu shook his head to dismiss his dark thoughts.

“Do you think that I can’t defend myself on my own?” Asami asked suddenly.

At the flash of annoyance that passed in the eyes of the heiress Natsu felt his body tensing, remembering Asami's aversion to the Avatar.

No, no… It’s not that. I know… I know that you are more capable of defending yourself but the people… the people who might come after me and therefore you are organized and strong…” He explained suddenly. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“So that’s why you don’t want to be with me? Because of my safety? Excuse me, but that’s all you have as a pathetic excuse for a reason,” she replied, the fire still visible in her eyes.

“How’s that pathetic? I don’t want to endanger you Asami, how can you not understand that?”

“Well, if that’s the only reason, I can hire guards or whatever… The other Avatars all had someone…”

Asami put her head in her hands to calm herself down. She could tell that the conversation was going in circles.

“Natsu, I hear what you’re telling me, I understand okay? I don’t want to force you, if you don’t want us to continue I… I will respect your wishes but think carefully.”

Asami sighed as she felt her eyes get wet and her throat tighten.

“I’ve never felt such feelings for anyone before, whether it’s my aversion to the Avatar of my immediate attraction to you. YOu’ve helped me so much since we’ve known each other. I want to be with you. You Natsu, I want you so badly. Even if it’s just as a friend, I… I need you, Natsu.”

Wanting to play it all off Asami approached the young man who hadn’t moved an inch. Slowly she slipped her hand in Natsu’s.

“Please. Really think about it.”

Natsu squeezed his hand in Asami’s. His mind working at full speed. His whole logical side told him to go. He couldn’t be with Asami. But his heart was beating furiously and he could feel hope creeping into every part of his being. He opened his mouth to answer the young woman, but he didn’t know what to say. Asami continued to look at him intently and little by little all the reasons that shouted at him not to hold on to her vanished.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he whispered, approaching the young woman.

“Me neither,” Asami replied evenly.

Asami slid her free hand through Natsu’s hair.

“It’s crazy… I’m crazy… I shouldn’t,” Natsu sighed, shaking his head slightly.

However, he did not move away from Asami, on the contrary he preferred to lean down towards her to let their lips meet again. The heiress kept Natsu’s hand firmly in her grasp while still having her other hand in his hair. The Avatar let go of her hand and slipped his arms around Asami’s waist, whilst she let out a low moan. Asami sighed in joy as she felt Natsu’s body relax against her.

“Tomorrow night, let’s go to dinner. We could talk a little more about this, if you like,” the heiress offered, unbinding her fingers with Natsu’s so that she could gently stroke his shoulder.

“Okay,” he replied, smiling slightly.

The smile Asami gave him almost took Natsu’s breath away, before Natsu could leave the young woman was kissing him again. They pulled away a few minutes later, cheeks flushed and hearts throbbing in their chests.

“See you tomorrow then? I’ll pick you up at Pema’s restaurant.”

Natsu nodded, still a little dazed at what was really going on between them. He had waited so long for this moment before, that Asami returned his feelings and accepted it. Yet after his capture by the Red Lotus and his weeks of rehabilitation he had only thought about the negative sides that a relationship with the young woman, or anyone else would entail. He still had fears, to be sure, however Asami’s determined gaze chased them away for the moment.

“See you tomorrow,” he replied, exiting Asami’s office, after retrieving his white mask.

The Avatar closed the glass door, casting one last glance at Asami, then resumed his glider to fly into Republic City.

That night he felt so light that he thought he could fly without the aid of his glider, the subtle taste of Asami still clinging to his lips.


End file.
